The US Space Surveillance Network estimates that there are over 7500 tons of “space junk” in orbit, representing a significant hazard to future missions, which is why a large consortium is working on cleaning it up. On September 16, the aptly named RemoveDEBRIS satellite successfully captured a piece of orbital debris with a net. The researchers behind the project say it was the first demonstration of active debris removal technology in human history, and that this was the culmination of 6 years of testing. Vision-based navigation, harpoons, and drag nets to deorbit objects are to be tested in the coming months. Check out the footage of RemoveDEBRIS’s net capturing some junk below:



Professor Guglielmo Aglietti, Director of the Surrey Space Centre, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the outcome of the net technology. While it might sound like a simple idea, the complexity of using a net in space to capture a piece of debris took many years of planning, engineering and coordination between the Surrey Space Centre, Airbus and our partners – but there is more work to be done. These are very exciting times for us all.”

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Source: [H]ardOCP – Net Captures Orbital Debris