Astroscale’s space junk observation satellite has successfully approached a discarded rocket upper stage that has been orbiting Earth for almost two decades. The satellite captured close-up images of the object, marking an important step towards its future deorbiting mission.
On June 14, the company released an image taken by the satellite from a distance of just 50 meters (164 feet). This achievement is part of a larger program aimed at removing debris from orbit. During the initial phase of the campaign, the Astroscale-Japan (ADRAS-J) satellite is demonstrating safe maneuvering techniques, such as rendezvous and proximity operations, while gathering valuable data and images of the target object.
Launched on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket in February, ADRAS-J has been steadily closing in on the discarded upper stage. This particular object is an 11-meter-long upper stage from a Japanese H-IIA rocket, which was launched in 2009 and ended up in a low Earth orbit. Notably, the rocket stage does not transmit its location, so Astroscale had to employ ground-based techniques and orbital data to determine the best approach trajectory.
Astroscale’s efforts in space debris removal are a significant step towards ensuring the long-term sustainability of space activities. By successfully approaching and gathering data on the discarded rocket upper stage, the company is paving the way for future missions to effectively remove debris from Earth’s orbit.