Japan’s troubled ‘space junk’ mission fails

AFP, TOKYO: An experimental Japanese mission to clear ‘space junk’ or rubbish from the Earth’s orbit has ended in failure, officials said Monday, in an embarassment for Tokyo.
Over 100 million pieces of garbage are thought to be whizzing around the planet, including cast-off equipment from old satellites and bits of rocket, which experts say could pose risks for future space exploration.
Scientists at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) were trying to test an electrodynamic ‘tether’—created with the help of a fishing net company—to slow down the orbiting rubbish and bring it into a lower orbit.
The hope was that the clutter—built up after more than five decades of human space exploration—would eventually enter the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up harmlessly before it had a chance to crash into the planet.
The 700-metre (2,300-foot) long tether—made from thin wires of stainless steel and aluminium—was due to be extended out from a cargo ship launched in December carrying supplies for astronauts at the International Space Station.Problems arose quickly, however, and technicians tried for days to remedy the situation but only had a one-week window to carry out the mission before the vessel reentered the Earth’s atmosphere before dawn on Monday.

 

Japans troubled space junk mission fails

AFP, TOKYO: An experimental Japanese mission to clear space junk or rubbish from the Earths orbit has ended in failure, officials said Monday, in an embarassment for Tokyo. Over 100 million pieces of garbage are thought to be whizzing around the planet, including cast-off equipment from old satellites and bits of rocket, which experts say could pose risks for future space exploration. Scientists at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) were trying to test an electrodynamic tethercreated with the help of a fishing net companyto slow down the orbiting rubbish and bring it into a lower orbit. The hope was that the clutterbuilt up after more than five decades of human space explorationwould eventually enter the Earths atmosphere and burn up harmlessly before it had a chance to crash into the planet. The 700-metre (2,300-foot) long tethermade from thin wires of stainless steel and aluminiumwas due to be extended out from a cargo ship launched in December carrying supplies for astronauts at the International Space Station.Problems arose quickly, however, and technicians tried for days to remedy the situation but only had a one-week window to carry out the mission before the vessel reentered the Earths atmosphere before dawn on Monday.