Start-ups around at home and abroad have been developing the technology to observe and remove space debris. They are trying not only to prevent the debris from crashing into satellites but also to catch them it by using special satellites. New investment in the new business has been expanding, hoping for there are hopes for an advance in private demands.
Leolabs, a company based in California, the US, has set up large panels in western Australia. It radiates microwaves up in the air from the panels and detects artificial objects 10 centimeters or larger in diameter, traveling in an orbit at an altitude of 2,000 kilometers. It conducts business in 6 places in the world and sells data about the debris through the cloud. Its customers are national governments and satellite operation companies as well as the Japanese Ministry of Defense. The customers can simulate estimate the possibility of their rockets or satellites crashing into space debris by using special software. Now, Currently, most of the observatories are in the Northern Hemisphere and the company has said,”We will install radar equipment in the Southern Hemisphere and tighten monitoring networks.”
The European Space Agency (ESA) has estimated that there are more than 1 million pieces of debris in orbit, 96% of which are not tracked. Al long as space debris don’t doesn’t re-enter the atmosphere, they it will not disappear naturally. It is necessary to remove the debris from orbits to reduce the risks of the crashes. Astroscal, a Japanese start-up, is developing satellites which can catch the debris and burn them up with the satellites themselves in the atmosphere in collaboration with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Sky Perfect JSAT, a major Japanese satellite communication company, is advancing the development of the technology, by using through which the company will radiate emit radar from satellites and bring down the debris into the atmosphere.
The Global South, developing countries mainly in the Sothern Hemisphere, is trying to enhance their its presence in the area of space development, too. Long-term investments supplied beyond national boundaries have been accelerating space development.
(M.K.)