European Space Agency sends giant claw into orbit to clean up space debris

There are approximately 2,800 living satellites currently orbiting the Earth. It’s a lot, but it’s absolutely nothing compared to the amount of missing objects – AKA space debris – also circling the globe.

Scientists estimate that nearly 3,000 dead satellites are currently orbiting our planet, which is not the 900,000 pieces of debris, less than 10 centimeters long, that could potentially cause disaster if it hit the wrong satellite. at the wrong time.

Scientists and engineers are currently working hard to try and fix the problem, but the European Space Agency is currently in the early stages of executing one of the more bizarre solutions: a space claw that will grab larger dead satellites and bring them back to earth. atmosphere where the satellite and the claw itself can burn in peace.

The plan was originally devised in 2019, but ESA now officially signs a contract with Swiss start-up ClearSpace SA to build and launch its very first debris disposal mission, called ClearSpace-1.

The claw’s first target is a VESPA (Vega Secondary Payload Adapter) that has been orbiting the Earth since it helped launch an ESA Vega rocket in 2013. The VESPA weighs 112 kg and, according to the ESA, is close to the size of a small satellite.

ESA is contributing 86 million euros to the cost of the mission. ClearSpace is expected to lift the rest as it attempts to make a long-term business of spam deletion. Hopefully, this mission becomes the first in a long series, as humanity uncovers new and innovative ways to clean up the gargantuan mess that is made of space above our atmosphere.

ClearSpace SA hopes to launch its first mission in 2025.

Long live the claw.