Japan’s mission to clean up orbital debris has made significant progress with Astroscale’s ADRAS-J (Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan) successfully completing a rendezvous with a second-stage H-2A rocket. The spacecraft approached the drifting object within several hundred kilometers and is now poised to conduct a detailed examination of the aging rocket by orbiting around it and capturing images.
The rocket’s upper stage, which was launched in 2009, presents challenges for precise location determination due to the lack of its own GPS data. This complicates the rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) mission, as highlighted in a press release by Astroscale Japan.
The successful completion of the rendezvous and initiation of proximity approach marks a significant milestone in Japan’s efforts to address the growing issue of orbital debris. With continued advancements in technology and space cleanup initiatives, the mission aims to contribute to a cleaner and safer space environment for future space activities.
