Japan’s victory over space debris

From wooden satellites to galactic ‘cranes’, Japanese scientists and start-ups compete on projects to try to tackle the growing problem of space debris.

More than a million pieces of debris larger than a centimeter from the old satellite, as well as missile fragments, are already pulling at high speed around Earth, according to the latest calculations by the European Space Agency (ESA).

The number could increase exponentially with the arrival of “mega-constellations” of satellites seeking to provide faster and more ubiquitous internet connections.

“We are entering an era where many satellites are launched one by one. Space will become increasingly full” of objects and debris, said Miki Ito, president of Astroscale, a Japanese start-up working on “sustainable” space.

“Simulations show that space will be unusable if we continue” this way, Ito warned, with an AFP question. “We must repair the divine environment before it is too late.”

Events have already multiplied: in January, fragments of an old Soviet satellite crashed into a Chinese satellite. And last year, it penetrated the thermal cover of the International Space Station’s (ISS) robotic arm by just a fraction of a millimeter.

– ‘Near debris’ warning –

“Small pieces of debris are a problem because they are not indexed,” Japan Space Agency researcher Toru Yamamoto told AFP, unlike large chunks whose names, locations and speeds are “permanently recorded.”

There are rules with good recommendations regarding space practice, such as turning old satellites into “graveyard orbits.” But this is not enough, because there is no currently valid international text.

“A geostationary satellite receives about 100 warnings every year about ‘covered debris’,” Tadanori Fukushima, an engineer at SkyPerfect Gast, told AFP.

Fukushima founded a “startup” company in search of an experimental solution: a laser beam that destroys the surface of space debris, creating energetic thrusters to move objects into new orbits.

The company hopes to conduct its first tests in space between now and spring 2025, in collaboration with various research institutes.

The Astroscale concept is even more advanced: a kind of magnetic space “towing truck” to pick up late-stage satellites.

The company carried out the first test last year and plans to carry out the second by the end of 2024, in partnership with ESA and OneWeb, the UK operator of a group of low-orbit satellites.

– ‘There is no universal solution’ –

What’s most unusual is that another Japanese team envisioned a satellite made of wood, a material that would be consumed when it enters Earth’s atmosphere.

This Kyoto University project (western Japan) and logging group Sumitomo Forestry is still in its early stages: in March, logs were sent to the International Space Station to examine their reaction to cosmic rays.

Fukushima said Japan is one of the most dynamic space nations in developing space debris solutions.

But companies around the world are also gearing up to conquer this emerging market, which could emerge as early as 2030, according to the engineer.

In late 2020, the European Space Agency signed a €100 million contract with Swiss start-up ClearSpace to send the first commercial mission of clearing space debris into orbit by 2025.

American companies such as Orbit Fab and SpaceLogistics (a subsidiary of the aeronautics and defense group Northrop Grumman), or Neumann Space Australia are also designing various satellite repair services to extend their life, for example by refueling in space.

The problem of space debris is complex and requires the coexistence of multiple solutions, said Yamamoto of JAXA. There is no comprehensive solution.”

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