All articles tagged with #adras j mission
Astroscale, a 2025 Gizmodo Science Fair winner, successfully launched its ADRAS-J mission to approach and observe a defunct Japanese rocket stage in orbit, demonstrating the potential for space debris removal and promoting sustainable use of Earth's orbital environment. The mission paves the way for future debris removal efforts, aiming to reduce space junk and extend satellite lifespans.
Astroscale's ADRAS-J mission, launched on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket, aims to demonstrate the necessary operations and technology for commercial removal of space debris in low-Earth orbit (LEO). The mission will approach, characterize, and fly around a large uncommunicative piece of space debris to showcase the technology needed for precise rendezvous with a non-responsive target object. This initiative aligns with efforts to make space safe and sustainable, as the increasing number of satellites and space debris poses a hazard to spacecraft and the risk of orbital decay. Other organizations and missions, such as ELSA-D, COSMIC, and ClearSpace, are also working on orbital debris management and removal.