5 Startups Cleaning up Low Earth Orbit
We all know that waste has a staggering impact on our planet. We’ve left harmful waste and pollutants in our land and seas and even in the air… But did you know that we’re even littering in low-orbit space?
Space junk!
It’s true! Space debris is becoming an increasingly serious issue that’s of growing concern to the space industry. Space junk like spent rockets, the fragmented debris from collisions and old abandoned satellites can cause potentially life-threatening risks to astronauts and catastrophic damage to space stations.
Kessler Syndrome
Over time this prolonged space-littering could lead to a condition called Kessler Syndrome, where low-Earth orbit is so overpopulated that collisions cascade into more collisions in a domino effect that makes it a dangerous no-fly zone. You may well ask who’s going to go out there with a trash picker and clean up, but you wouldn’t be far from the solution. Recently, a British satellite successfully tested its space junk harpoon.
What’s more, a new generation of startups with their eyes on the stars have begun to formulate partial solutions to clean up low-orbit space…
This space debris recycling and management company is more than just space debris removal operator. They also focus on extending the time of operation for satellites to reduce waste in space.
ClearSpace specializes in the design and manufacture of drones called “Chasers” which find, capture and remove non-functioning and unresponsive satellites.
How can we clean up space if we don’t know where the debris is? Tracking space junk isn’t as easy as spotting a discarded soda can in the street. That’s why Seer Tracking provides accurate space junk tracking and mapping capabilities for use by other space companies and agencies.
Astroscale is a Tokyo-based space debris retrieval service that positions itself as the street sweepers of outer space.
Intent on preventing the problem of space debris before it happens, Leo Labs offer radar-based mapping services to prevent space junk from being caused by collisions in low Earth orbit.
With forward-thinking startups like these throwing down the gauntlet, who knows what miracles of endeavor future generations will dream up to help clean up space?
To see more companies, products, and services helping to clean-up the space around Earth, you can find them here, on NewSpace Hub.
