Japanese satellite begins operation to reduce space debris

The Japanese company Astroscale together with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) They put the Adras-J (Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan) satellite into orbit, with the objective of inspecting the space debris orbiting the Earth. The satellite took off from a rocket on the Mahia Peninsula, in New Zealand, on a mission that seeks to be a precursor to a mission to eliminate space debris.

For Rocket Lab, the American company responsible for launching the rocket that carried the Adras-Jthe mission is historic because it “paves the way for new and innovative ways to reduce orbital debris and ensure space remains safely accessible.”

This entry into orbit takes place two days after the Japanese agency launched H3, its new flagship space rocket, and confirmed the correct separation of the loads it carried and the controlled re-entry of the vehicle.

As indicated, the Adras-J It must reach an upper stage of the H2A rocket launched by JAXA in 2009, which orbits the Earth at an altitude of about 600 kilometers, but whose exact location is unknown as it does not transmit GPS data.

The newly launched satellite will take images of the debris from the rocket body while maintaining a distance of a few meters. Now, says Adras-J project director Shin Eijiro, the first mission to approach and investigate real debris is expected to be successful.

Although the vehicle has already been put into orbit, they indicate that they will keep their “guard up,” since at least two months are necessary to complete the operation.

With the results of this mission, it is expected to develop a technology that allows the elimination of both space debris and disused satellites and rockets floating in outer space.

(With information from the EFE agency).