Japanese startup Astroscale Holdings Inc. says it has successfully launched a satellite to survey the state of a jettisoned rocket section in orbit in space, in what it calls a world first as it seeks to develop technology for space debris removal.
Japan has successfully launched a spacecraft designed to inspect and potentially remove man-made space debris from around the Earth, said a statement from Astroscale Japan on Monday.
The Active Debris Removal has been launched by Astroscale-Japan (ADRAS-J). As per an AFP news agency report, it will rendezvous with and examine a Japanese H2A rocket remnant that has been in space for 15 years. The H2A rocket body, about the size of a bus, was launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in 2009. Its precise location and orbital position are not known.