Recently, the world of space exploration witnessed an unprecedented event – a mission designed to clear space junk from orbit was incapacitated by a piece of space junk. The mission has been launched by RemoveDEBRIS, a spacecraft developed jointly by the University of Surrey in England and a consortium of international partners.
RemoveDEBRIS was designed to test useful technologies for cleaning up orbital debris. It was equipped with a net, a harpoon and a drag sail designed to capture and de-orbit objects. Mission planners expected RemoveDEBRIS to malfunction without consequence – but damage to its antenna proves otherwise.
A piece from a dismembered rocket body, known as a “bus panel,” was identified as the culprit. The bus panel whizzed past the spacecraft at an unexpected speed, striking the antenna array and knocking multiple communications links offline. It appears that the panel was made from a material harder than anticipated, likely enhancing its destructive power.
Fortunately, engineers were able to restore the antenna, and other mission objectives have progressed as expected. While the astronauts and mission planners breathed a collective sigh of relief, it is clear this incident demonstrated the immediate and real danger of orbiting orbital debris. From space junk deflating satellites to micrometeoroids, the need for a safe orbital environment is clear.
It is with much excitement then that the international community welcomed news of the successful RemoveDEBRIS mission. This milestone signals a continuous effort to reduce the spread of space junk, an effort that remains of utmost importance as we blaze ahead into greater and greater exploration of space.
