WASHINGTON — Astroscale, an orbital debris removal and satellite servicing company based in Japan, announced July 27 that it will be working with rocket maker Mitsubishi Heavy Industries on technologies to help clean up space junk.
The collaboration between Astroscale and a launch provider is significant because it could help address the growing problem of rocket upper stages left behind in orbit, which the European Space Agency identified as the most dangerous pieces of orbital debris.
Alison Howlett, spokesperson for Astroscale, said the agreement with MHI is to start discussions on “how to contribute to a sustainable space with debris removal a possibility.
At the G7 Leaders’ Summit last month, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union pledged to “take action to tackle the growing hazard of space debris as our planet’s orbit becomes increasingly crowded.â€.
So far only Japan’s space agency JAXA and Europe’s ESA have funded missions to remove the removal of debris from orbit