Japanese space debris removal equipment Astroscale revealed on Monday that it will enter into a five-year, ¥12 billion ($81.4 billion) contract with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to remove the upper stage of the space agency's H-IIA rocket from orbit using a newly developed satellite.
Astroscale launches satellite that grabs and burns space debris
That satellite – ADRAS-J2 – will be equipped with a robotic arm to capture and orbit the rocket parts. The debris is categorized as a non-cooperative object, meaning it does not actively communicate or provide location data and may fall or move unpredictably.
The project is the second phase of the Commercial Debris Removal Demonstration (CRD2) – while debris removal is the goal, it also serves as a proof of concept for commercial scrap management services.
According to a filing [PDF] by the space debris management industry, the agreement "represents the largest award in our group's history and is positioned as a critical mission for the continuous development of Active Debris Removal (ADR) in the future."
