Space junk or space debris has long been the greatest concern. It can be a hazard to active satellites and spacecraft. To combat this problem, more than a dozen additional firms worldwide have popped up in the nascent space junk-cleaning industry, including Japan’s Astroscale and 3D Systems of the United States.
Now, a Chinese space mining startup, Origin Space, launched the prototype robot into low Earth orbit that can collect debris and other space junk left behind by earlier spacecraft – with a giant net.
The spacecraft NEO-01, which will also probe into deep space to observe small celestial bodies, was among a total of nine satellites sent into space by a Long March-6 rocket this week. The 30 kg robot will pave the way for future technologies capable of mining elements on asteroids, according to the company.
Unlike Japanese Astroscale technology, which uses magnets to collect space debris, NEO-01 will use a deceptively simple-sounding net to capture debris and then burn it with an electric propulsion system.
Experiments will be carried out to test the spacecraft‘s capabilities in asteroid mining and space debris removal, Su Meng, founder of Origin Space, told the state-run Xinhua news agency. The NEO-01 will serve as a prototype of future space mining robots, which can use rich mineral resources on asteroids to support the development of the space industry.
Since the late 1950s, thousands of satellites have been launched globally. As they last longer than their useful life, many end up as highly dispersed yet very dangerous bulk of space junk, posing a danger to other satellites in operation. Origin Space plans to launch dozens of space telescopes and more spacecraft to build the first commercial asteroid mining by 2045.
Xinhua also reported that China is stepping up efforts to land a probe on a near-Earth asteroid to collect samples and is also accelerating a plan to build a defense system to protect the Earth from near-Earth asteroids. Beijing has great ambitions for China’s presence in space, with hopes to catch Russia and the U.S. up and transform China into a third major space power by 2030.
