Focus: Space Debris
October 15, 2019
With the proliferation of satellites going to orbit of late, I’m often asked what lies ahead with respect to the issue of debris in space. By many accounts, thousands of new satellites will be in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) by 2025. These will be joining the hundreds of thousands of pieces of space debris already in…
October 10, 2019
Astroscale entered the Assembly, Integration, and Test (AIT) phase of its End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-demonstration (ELSA-d) mission, following completion of design reviews and subsystem testing. ELSA-d, the world’s first commercial orbital debris removal mission to operate in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO), consists of two spacecraft, a Servicer and a Client, and will demonstrate capture activities necessary…
September 30, 2019
Astroscale will collaborate with the University of Southampton on a project to investigate collision risks between satellites, highlighting the necessity for financial incentives for satellite operators to engage with active debris removal services. The University of Southampton is a partner university on the national SPRINT (SPace Research and Innovation Network for Technology) program and the…
August 26, 2019
Russian space agency Roscosmos has filed a patent for a satellite shield system that aims to protect spacecraft from colliding with dangerous objects in space. According to the patent, which was filed this past weekend with Russia's intellectual property bureau, Rospatent, the shield comprises two layers of aluminum plates covered in staggered conical, hard-alloy spikes. The…