"European Debris Removal Mission Foiled by Colliding Debris"

The European Space Agency (ESA) has revealed that the target of its debris cleanup mission, a payload adapter called Vespa, may have been damaged by debris impact. The ESA-backed mission, called ClearSpace-1, aims to remove the Vespa adapter from orbit. The incident is ironic as the debris originated from Vespa itself. ESA is currently evaluating the impact of the debris on the ClearSpace-1 mission, which is scheduled to launch in 2026. ESA has made space safety and mitigating orbital debris a priority, and recently unveiled plans for a "Zero Debris Charter" to prevent the creation of new debris in Earth orbit.