The European Space Agency (ESA) intends to sign a contract next summer for the development and launch of a specialized apparatus for cleaning up space debris. This is reported by TASS, referring to the statements of ESA representatives in Russia.
We are talking about the Clearspace-1 project. The system is being created to clean the near-Earth space from man-made objects. These can be faulty or retired satellites, launch vehicle stages, spacecraft debris, etc.
"ESA expects that the contract for the development of the Clearspace-1 project and for launch will be signed this summer," officials said.
Presumably, the first target of the device will be the upper stage of the Vega rocket, which remained at an altitude of approximately 600-800 km after the launch back in 2013. The mass of this object is about 100 kg, and the shape makes it suitable for testing the capabilities of a garbage catcher.
The launch of the space cleaner is tentatively scheduled for 2025. TASS adds that the contract for the creation and launch of the device will be carried out by a commercial consortium, which is headed by the Swiss startup ClearSpace.
Source: 3dnews.ru