Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #31667: Cleaning Up Space: The NanoRacks Remove Debris Experiment

Space junk is a growing concern for orbital missions and satellite operations. The NanoRacks Remove Debris project, led by Dr. Guglielmo Aglietti from the University of Surrey, focused on developing and testing technologies to capture and remove space debris from low Earth orbit.

With contributions from multiple international collaborators, the experiment was hosted on the ISS to simulate real debris-capturing operations. The project tested a variety of systems: a net that could envelop debris, a harpoon for capturing larger items, and a vision-based navigation system to track and identify targets.

This demonstration marks a critical step in mitigating the dangers of space junk, which can damage satellites and threaten crewed space missions. Each piece of debris, traveling at thousands of kilometers per hour, poses a serious risk. The Remove Debris mission tested whether autonomous systems could reliably find, capture, and safely dispose of this material.

The technologies explored here are foundational for future space traffic management. As more satellites are launched and orbital congestion increases, cleaning space becomes not just an option but a necessity. This experiment shows that solutions are possible—and that international cooperation is key to keeping space safe for everyone.

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