The European Space Agency says it is signing a 10 102 million deal with a Swiss start-up to bring most of the orbital debris back to Earth.
BERLIN – The European Space Agency says it is signing an 86 million euro (102 million) deal with a Swiss start-up to bring back much of the orbital debris to Earth.
The agency said Thursday that a deal with ClearSpace SA would lead to “the first active debris removal mission” in 2025, in which a custom-built spacecraft would capture and bring down a portion of a rocket once used to deliver a satellite into orbit.
Experts have long warned that thousands of fragments of space debris orbiting the planet, including the astronaut’s lost mirror, are a threat to working satellites and the International Space Station. Some teams are working on ways to tackle the problem.
The object being removed from orbit is a so-called Vespa payload adapter that was used in 2013 to hold and then hold the satellite. It weighs about 112 kilograms (247 pounds).
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