We have a serious problem.
We have been launching debris in space since 1957 when Sputnik 1 launched. All kinds of debris, from large communication satellites and space stations to small CubeSats. We also throw in rocket parts, paint chips and other debris with each launch.
At the moment, there are over a million objects wider than centimeters orbiting Earth. And at least 130,000,000 objects smaller than millimeters. It’s unlikely that most of it will deorbit soon.
The orbits have become so cluttered that crewed missions and the International Space Station are forced to change their orbits frequently to avoid collisions. Debris has caused several satellite collisions, resulting in more debris.
If we keep on with our current launches, it won’t be long before collisions become common. This will lead to what is called the Kessler spiral. The Kessler cascade is a result of collisions creating debris and debris causing more collisions.
Kessler Cascades has been depicted in many works of literature, starting with the PlanetesGravity is a manga adaptation of the movie.
Gravity portrays the cascade as occurring suddenly. The Russians destroyed a test-satellite just hours before the cascade began. In reality, it will be a gradual process. As with global warming, there is a point where we cannot go back if we do not change. We don’t really know where the hard line is.
There are several projects that aim to solve this issue. One of them is a partnership between the European Space Agency (ESA) and a Swiss startup named ClearSpace.
ClearSpace aims to remove large and dangerous debris from space by forcing them to deorbit. The smaller debris will still be a problem but if the large chunks can be removed, it will be a good start.
ESA is currently planning to launch a ClearSpace Satellite in 2026, as a test mission. The ESA will capture the upper-stage Vega Secondary Payload Adapter Vespa, which was launched in 2013. The Vega Secondary Payload Adapter (Vespa) upper-stage component was launched in 2013.
The component is not dangerous, but its mass and size are similar to those of more dangerous satellites.
Or so we believed.
Recent observations made by the United States 18th Space Defense Squadron have shown that there are now multiple objects orbiting the adapter. These were not there before.
The impact of untracked, small debris fragments at hypervelocity was most likely the cause of this new debris. This new debris complicates what was intended to be a relatively simple mission.
ClearSpace’s team does not believe that the new objects pose a significant challenge. The pilot mission will proceed as planned. These new observations show how vital ClearSpace and other missions are.
Collisions are increasing in frequency, and time to find solutions is getting shorter.
Find out more about ClearSpace’s mission by Checking out their website.
This article originally appeared on Universe Today. You can read the Original Article.
