UK Launching Giant Claws to Clean up Space Junk
Defunct satellites are cluttering up Earth's orbit, and the UK is developing a first-of-its-kind mission to clean up after its space program. It could pave the way toward a long-term strategy for mitigating the risks of space debris for all nations.
The UK’s Active Debris Removal (UK ADR) mission aims to send a refuelable spacecraft with giant robotic claws (that looks remarkably like something out of a James Bond movie) into Earth orbit to grab two dead satellites and throw them into our planet’s atmosphere, where they will burn up.
The spacecraft is slated to launch from Scotland in 2029 and will be built by the UK branch of ClearSpace, an in-orbit servicing company. “We have designed the claw because that gives us effectively the ability to go after spacecraft of all shapes and sizes, but also, we’ve designed a very maneuverable spacecraft,” says the CEO of ClearSpace UK. “So, as things move through space, if it’s tumbling or moving, we can match that and then still grapple with the spacecraft.”
If all goes according to plan, the roughly $80 million mission would demonstrate that a single spacecraft can successfully get rid of more than one dead satellite, which could render future missions of this sort more practical. The mission is expected to be completed by 2032.
Space junk is a collision threat for other things in space, such as other satellites, spacecraft and even orbital stations like the International Space Station, so endeavouring to clean thing up is a sensible endeavour.
The U.K. Space Agency has launched a competition to name its trash-disposal mission. The public can enter suggestions until December 10, 2026.
