For several years now, Japan has been working tirelessly to increase the number of satellites in space to enhance communication infrastructure. The country invests nearly $40 billion annually in space research and various space-based initiatives. However, Japan's space programs have encountered a new obstacle—space debris.

Space debris primarily consists of defunct satellites, remnants of rocket launches, and various discarded objects from space missions, including fragments from spacecraft. These debris pose a significant threat as they can potentially cause catastrophic accidents at any time. Hence, in February 18, Japan initiated a project named Astroscale, which aims to collect and dispose of old debris in space.

Astroscale, a Japanese organization, has commenced its mission to collect space debris by launching a satellite named "Adras-J." Currently, the organization is attempting to collect debris from low Earth orbit. In the coming years, they plan to retrieve debris from space and bring it back to Earth.

Space debris poses a severe threat to spacecraft as even small debris or a tiny screw can cause significant damage to a spacecraft upon collision. Therefore, research is ongoing in Japan to develop robotic arms for safe debris collection. Astroscale-J utilizes algorithms and video captured by cameras to identify and classify space debris.

The satellite's ongoing operations are being jointly monitored by Japan and the United Kingdom. This collaborative effort underscores the global concern regarding space debris and the necessity for international cooperation to address this issue effectively.

Source: BBC

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