Space junk removal mission blasts off

An experimental spacecraft that could remove space junk around Earth has been launched into orbit and will test a number of new technologies.

An Active Debris Removal (ADR) mission, designed to demonstrate technologies to remove space junk, was launched on Monday 2nd April from the Kennedy Space Center to the International Space Station (ISS).

"RemoveDEBRIS" is a mission designed and manufactured by a consortium of leading space companies, led by the University of Surrey and funded by the European Commission. It is one of the world's first concrete steps to begin cleaning up the tens of thousands of space junk pieces currently orbiting Earth.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket delivered the RemoveDEBRIS satellite to the ISS, where it is being deployed, via the NanoRacks Kaber system, to conduct a series of experiments that will demonstrate cost-effective technologies for observing and capturing space debris.

In the first of two capture experiments, a net will be discharged at one of the deployed target cubesats to demonstrate net capture in space. The second capture experiment will see a harpoon launched at a deployable target plate, made of representative satellite panel materials – the first harpoon capture in orbit. The third experiment involves vision-based navigation by deploying the second cubesat and demonstrating rendezvous navigation using cameras and a LiDaR. Finally, the RemoveDEBRIS spacecraft will deploy a large dragsail to speed de-orbit, where it will burn up as it enters Earth's atmosphere.

The US Space Surveillance Network tracks 40,000 objects and it is estimated that there are over 7,600 tonnes of space junk in and around Earth's orbit – with some moving faster than a speeding bullet, approaching speeds of 30,000 miles per hour.

"It is important to remember that a few significant collisions have already happened. Therefore, to maintain the safety of current and future space assets, the issue of the control and reduction of the space debris has to be addressed," said Professor Guglielmo Aglietti, Director of the Surrey Space Centre at the University of Surrey. "We believe the technologies demonstrated with RemoveDEBRIS could provide feasible answers to the space junk problem – answers that could be used on future space missions in the very near future."

Aurélien Pisseloup, Space Engineer at Airbus, said: "Airbus has been investing in new technologies for space debris removal in co-operation with space agencies and institutes. Contributing to this exciting mission with our expertise and concretely with our harpoon, net experiments and vision-based navigation (VBN) moves the international space community one big step forward in tackling space debris."Space junk removal mission blasts off

Read More........→April 07, 2018

China is trying to catch up with competitors in the space race

Russia and the USA have preserved their leadership in space exploration, but they face a growing competition from other states, primarily from China. That conclusion is stated in a report prepared by Futron research company (USA).

By Andrei Karneev: For five years Futron has been composing an index of competitive position of various participants of space exploration. The experts make conclusions based on the analysis of government programs, the industrial bases and human resources of various countries. The latest annual report states that the undisputable leadership of Russia and the US in space exploration is supported by the following facts: over the last 10 years of the 640 successful launches that took place all over the world, Russia’s share was 255 launches, the USA's – 191 launches and China's – 87 launches. However, if we look at a one-year period, it becomes clear that China is actively trying to reduce the lag behind the two leaders. Based on the first half of the year results China became the world leader for the first time based on the number of space launches. China carried out ten space launches, Russia – nine, the USA – eight. China is increasing budget financing for the preparation of specialists for the space industry. For a number of years China has been consistently increasing its financing of scientific research programs in space. China so far has not produced any breakthrough technologies in space exploration. In the area of space exploration China is primarily busy with developments, trying to overcome its lagging behind the world level, thinks Victor Supyan, deputy director of the Institute of the USA and Canada. “China has more and more launches. But one must remember that these are imitation launches – they repeat what was in the past done by the USA and the Soviet Union. The Chinese program is mostly based on our technologies. China demonstrates its efforts to catch up where it lagged behind; it concerns not only space exploration, but also other areas. However, it will take many more years to reach Russia's current level of space technologies and the level of space equipment,” - believes Professor Victor Supyan. According to most experts, China's accumulation of scientific and technical potential is going full speed and in 10-15 years one can expect from China a real breakthrough in the area of manned space exploration. This year an important event was the docking of the manned spaceship with the orbital module Tyangun-1, which was a prototype of China’s future orbital space station. Around 2020 on the basis of Tyangun-3 China plans to produce world’s third permanently manned orbital station with a ten-year term of service (the first two being the Soviet Mir space station and the International Space Station). Taking into account the successful preparation for its construction and the existing plans to explore deep space, China’s space program for the following ten years can compare in scope to the program fulfilled by the USSR in the 1980s. Source: Voice of Russia

Read More........→March 21, 2013

International Space Station 2024 retired, the United States and Russia will cooperate build site

The Space Agency, is preparing to launch. Both the United States and Russia on 28 March agreed to originally scheduled for 2020 retired the International Space Station (ISS) extended service to 2024, and in the following the establishment of the new International Space Station. International Space Station in 1998 was launched into space, the history of humanity, the first 9 of the space station, in near-Earth orbit, major function as in the micro gravity environment of the research laboratories. The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Russian Federal Space Agency (RSA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), BrazilianSpace Agency (AEB) and the European Space Agency (ESA) co-operation. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin in 2014 said that Russia will be the 2020 exit ISS operation plan, then in February of this year, when Rogozin also announced that, in the hope of creating a Russia's own international space station. I have never thought that the previous two claims that are in 28 the Russian Space Secretary Igor Komarov overturned, and agree to continue to operate the ISS 2024, in the common planning new space station cooperation with space program. And Komarov also mentioned that the new space station built-in built-in, including the original ISS participating members, will take a more "open" mode, and the other with the will of the countries involved. In accordance with the Russia today (Russia Today, RT) reported that this new cooperation is merely the beginning, the Director NASA Bolton log (Charles Bolden) said that in the future between the two countries with space the ultimate aim, it will be a space expedition, the mission to Mars. Source: Article,

Read More........→July 11, 2015