Japan has been working for several years to increase the number of satellites in space to strengthen its communications system. For this, the country spends about 4 billion dollars every year on space research and various space-based programs. But the new obstacle to Japan’s space program is space debris.
Space debris basically refers to debris from old satellites, rocket launches, spacecraft, and astronauts. These wastes can create serious hazards at any time. Therefore, on February 18, a Japanese company called Astroscale started the work of collecting old waste by sending a satellite called ADRAS-J into space. For now, the organization is trying to remove waste from low Earth orbit. Garbage will be collected from the sky and brought back to Earth in the next few years.
Space debris poses a serious threat to spacecraft. A small piece of debris or a small screw collision can seriously harm the spacecraft. Therefore, research is also underway in Japan on the use of robotic arms to collect waste to make future space missions safer. It is reported that the ADRAS-J satellite is detecting the waste using the video captured by the camera and the algorithm. The round-the-clock operation of the satellite is being jointly monitored by Japan and the UK.
Source: BBC
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