Fraser Cain on Nostr: The Irony. ClearSpace-1 Couldn't Clean up Space Debris Because its Target Already Got ...
The Irony. ClearSpace-1 Couldn't Clean up Space Debris Because its Target Already Got hit by Space Debris, Creating Even More Space Debris.
The European Space Agency's ClearSpace-1 satellite was zeroing in on the spent payload adaptor from a 2013 rocket launch. Its task would be to extend arms, grab the chunk of debris, hug it tightly, and then pull it back into the Earth's atmosphere, de-orbiting and removing it from low-Earth orbit. On August 10th, mission controllers detected multiple pieces of space debris near its target - debris that was probably dislodged from it in the recent past. They're now scrutinizing the situation to plan their next step in the mission.
https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Objects_detected_in_the_vicinity_of_ClearSpace-1_debris_removal_mission_target
The European Space Agency's ClearSpace-1 satellite was zeroing in on the spent payload adaptor from a 2013 rocket launch. Its task would be to extend arms, grab the chunk of debris, hug it tightly, and then pull it back into the Earth's atmosphere, de-orbiting and removing it from low-Earth orbit. On August 10th, mission controllers detected multiple pieces of space debris near its target - debris that was probably dislodged from it in the recent past. They're now scrutinizing the situation to plan their next step in the mission.
https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Objects_detected_in_the_vicinity_of_ClearSpace-1_debris_removal_mission_target