Space News by Caleb Henry — December 9, 2019
The European Space Agency signed a debris-removal contract with Swiss startup ClearSpace tasking the company with deorbiting a substantial piece of a Vega rocket left in orbit in 2013.
The mission, dubbed ClearSpace-1, is slated to launch in 2025 to capture and deorbit a 100-kilogram Vespa payload adapter an Arianespace Vega left in orbit after deploying ESA’s Proba-V remote-sensing satellite.
ClearSpace will lead a consortium of European companies in building a spacecraft equipped with four robotic arms to capture debris and drag it into Earth’s atmosphere.
“Imagine how dangerous sailing the high seas would be if all the ships ever lost in history were still drifting on top of the water,†ESA Director General Jan Woerner said in a news release. “That is the current situation in orbit, and it cannot be allowed to continue.â€
More:
https://spacenews.com/swiss-startup-clearspace-wins-esa-contract-to-deorbit-vega-rocket-debris/
