ESA partners with ClearSpace to launch first Space debris removal mission in 2025.
Archa Harikumar H
credits: Freethink
Recent fall of massive Chinese rocket to Earth has arisen questions on the perils of space junk. A project from European Space Agency can help in finding a solution to this problem. European Space Agency (ESA) in association with a swiss start-up called ClearSpace declared plans to start a space debris removal mission in 2025. An experimental, four-armed robot to capture a Vega Secondary Payload Adapter (Vespa) left behind by ESA’s Vega launcher in 2013 will be used for the mission ,dubbed ClearSpace-1. Space junk is found about 500 miles(800 km) above earth and weighs roughly about 220 lbs (100 kilograms).
When we think about the all orbital captures that have occurred up till now and all these have taken place with cooperative, fully-controlled target objects, stated Jan Worner, ESA Director General in December and he also added that, with space debris controlling them is not possible as the objects are adrift and they tumble randomly.
Recently ESA signed $104 million (€ 86 million) contract with ClearSpace to achieve this feat. The Vespa from low Earth orbit can be captured by the team using the ClearSpace-1 robot and it can be dragged down into earth’s atmosphere where both the spacecrafts will be burn up. According to a statement, if everything goes smoothly according to the plan this mission will become the first to remove the previously generated piece of space debris from orbit.
Worner said that the first capture and disposal of an uncooperative space object represents to be an extremely challenging one. However, in the coming decade, as the number of satellites will grow rapidly and thus a regular removal of space debris will become essential and to keep the debris level under control, to prevent the cascade of collisions that threaten to make the debris problem much worse.
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Earth’s lower orbit is littered with debris which consists of inactive satellites to the upper stages of launch vehicles and the discarded bits left over from separation. These pieces of space junk are dangerous as they move at tens of thousands of miles per hour and can collide with and produce damage to active satellites and spacecraft in their path.
Luc Pignet, founder and CEO of ClearSpace stated that, at orbital velocities, a screw can hit with explosive force which cannot be guarded against by mission designers. However the threats can be controlled by the active removal of debris items. He added that their tow truck design will be accessible to unblock key orbits of debris which may otherwise make them unusable for future missions, eliminating the growing risk and liabilities for their owners and being profitable to the space industry as a whole. Their main aim is to build affordable and sustainable in-orbit services. For the first time ESA has gone for a paid service contract than directly procuring and running the entire mission. According to a statement, the space agency said that this new way of business is their first step in establishing a new commercial sector in space.
Other than ESA, ClearSpace will also depend on commercial investors to cover mission cost. The space agency will provide necessary technologies which consists of advanced guidance, the robotic arms, navigation, control systems and vision based AI, thus it will help the ClearSpace-1 to grapple its target autonomously by being a part of ESA’s clean space initiative and Active Debris Removal/In-Orbit Servicing Project (ADRIOS).
ClearSpace-1’s first target is Vespa as it is of simple shape, sturdy construction and it is the size of a small satellite. If everything goes according to the plan, then they can use the same technology to capture large and more challenging pieces of space debris in future missions. The team is planning to first test ClearSpace-1 in a lower orbit of earth about 310 miles (500 km), before launching it in the mission to capture Vespa in 2025.
Luisa Innocenti, head of ESA’s clean space office said that the plan is that this capture forms the base of a recurring business case. It is not just removal of space debris by responsible space actors around the globe but also helps in orbit servicing. The same technology allowed in-orbit refuelling and servicing of satellite thus extending their working life. Later on ,they foresee that this trend can be extended into in-orbit assembly, manufacturing and recycling.