A satellite from the Japanese company Astroscale recorded “the first publicly released image of space debris” — the remains of the HII-A rocket, abandoned in space, where it will wander until somehow recovered.
“The unprecedented image marks a crucial step towards understanding and addressing the challenges posed by space debris, driving progress towards a safer and more sustainable space environment,” the company said.
Astroscale is developing a space debris removal program. The photograph was taken by the satellite in the mission to collect images and evaluate the movement of the rocket body and the condition of the structure, as a way of better understanding the challenges posed in the future to be able to collect the trash that wanders through space.
The company’s statement added: “The images and data collected are expected to be crucial to better understanding the debris and provide critical information for future removal efforts.”
Space junk
Thousands of pieces of debris have accumulated around our planet since space exploration began last century. This trash is made up of parts of rockets or fragments of satellites that have suffered some type of collision.
According to NASA data, until the mid-2000s the main source of debris was the explosions of the upper stages of launch vehicles and spacecraft launched into space — existing technologies today already provide for the safe return of these parts to Earth.
Two episodes considerably increased the amount of space debris: China’s intentional destruction of the Fengyun-1C weather satellite in 2007 and the accidental collision of an American communications satellite and a retired Russian spacecraft in 2009. The materials released into space in these two occasions represent a third of all cataloged orbital debris.
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