皇冠体育app

Two UK-based companies are designing missions to clear hazardous space junk alongside the launch of a new programme to back cutting-edge space technology, the UK Space Agency has announced.

ClearSpace and Astroscale have been awarded 拢4 million from the UK Space Agency to design missions to remove existing pieces of space debris, working with a consortium of industry partners. Once the designs are complete, the teams, along with other UK space companies, could receive further funding to see the UK鈥檚 first national space debris removal mission launch in 2026.

皇冠体育app projects will directly support the creation of 70 new jobs, with further opportunities to increase growth in the wider UK space sector, which already supports 47,000 jobs and generates an income of 拢16.5 billion each year.

皇冠体育app UK Space Agency has also announced a new Enabling Technology Programme (ETP), in partnership with the (STFC), with up to 拢15 million to support innovative space research and develop emerging space technologies across the UK.

皇冠体育app first of six calls for funding from ETP opened today and will include technology for in-orbit servicing and manufacturing, which can extend the lifetime of satellites, building resilience and reducing space debris. Future calls will focus on emerging technologies to support the UK鈥檚 contribution to future space science missions.

Orbital congestion and space debris is one of the biggest challenges facing the global space sector and the UK Space Agency has committed 拢102 million, over the next three years, to deliver capabilities to track objects in space and reduce debris. 皇冠体育app UK is also leading on global regulation and standard setting to make space activities more sustainable, in line with the government鈥檚 National Space Strategy.

皇冠体育appre are estimated to be more than 130 million pieces of space debris orbiting Earth, from tiny flecks of paint from spacecraft, to old satellites, spent rocket bodies and even tools dropped by astronauts. This debris can stay in orbit for hundreds of years and present a real danger to satellites and the public services that they deliver, from communications and navigation to environmental monitoring.

Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said:

As our reliance on space technologies increases rapidly and the UK becomes a global hub of satellite design, manufacturing and launch, we are committed to leading efforts to make space more sustainable.

With 1,700 satellites launched last year alone, the need to safeguard the space environment for the benefit of everyone on Earth has never been more pressing.

By catalysing investment, backing innovative new technologies and supporting a national mission to remove space debris, we can keep space open for future generations and protect the important satellite services that modern life depends on.

ClearSpace UK, based in London, and Astroscale Ltd., based at the Harwell Space Cluster in Oxfordshire, were chosen after completing feasibility studies of the missions to remove derelict objects from space earlier this year.

ClearSpace has been awarded 拢2.25 million to conduct the next phase of a study into a mission which would remove derelict satellites from Low Earth orbit (LEO). This design phase will last until October 2023 and will finish with the preliminary design review 鈥� an evaluation of the progress on the design and the technical adequacy of the proposed mission.

皇冠体育app Clearing the LEO Environment with Active Removal (CLEAR) mission, which will advance key technology building blocks, is a catalyst for the development of commercially viable disposal services and other in-orbit services.

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Rory Holmes, ClearSpace UK Managing Director said:

ClearSpace is honoured that the UK Space Agency is continuing their support to the聽CLEAR Mission.

Space is getting more and more congested with defunct satellites, rocket bodies and other fragments - we have to act now to ensure this precious environment remains usable for future generations.

皇冠体育app CLEAR Mission is a vital step on the path to making the removal of space debris a reality, and will allow us to develop state-of-the-art space technologies, such as complex robotics and AI-based algorithms, within the UK. We cannot solve聽the聽challenge聽of space debris alone, and we are proud that 9聽cutting-edge UK-based space companies聽鈥� Alden Legal, AstroAgency, Critical Software, Deimos, MDA, Orbit Fab, Satellite Applications Catapult, University of Surrey 鈥� will work with us to address this issue.

Astroscale Ltd. has been awarded 拢1.7 million to design a satellite servicer that is capable of removing multiple retired or defunct satellites in a single mission. 皇冠体育app Cleaning Outer Space Mission through Innovative Capture (COSMIC) will harness Astroscale鈥檚 rendezvous and Remote Proximity Operations (RPO), and debris capture capabilities.

Astroscale most recently proved their magnetic capture and RPO capability in-orbit during the End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-demonstration (ELSA-d) satellite mission launched in 2021.

皇冠体育app COSMIC servicer will be a technological progression of Astroscale鈥檚 Sunrise programme ELSA-M servicer 鈥� a commercial partnership between the UK Space Agency, the European Space Agency and OneWeb, the global satellite operator. 皇冠体育app ELSA-M multi-client debris removal space servicer will be launched ahead of the UK鈥檚 Active Debris Removal mission in late 2024.

Nick Shave, Managing Director, Astroscale Ltd, said:

We rely on space in so many areas of our lives, yet without the rapid development of the in-orbit servicing market we cannot start removing the hazardous debris that threatens our societal dependence on satellites.

We are very pleased and honoured to have been selected by the UK Space Agency for this Active Debris Removal Mission Study award. Astroscale, working closely聽with expert UK partner companies, will design a聽national robotic capture capability that can safely remove two defunct UK-registered satellites in Low Earth Orbit. With our proven space mission heritage and strong industrial partnerships, we can deliver the UK government鈥檚 ambitious plans to develop a sustainable space economy for the benefit of future generations. Our goal is to make in-orbit debris removal and satellite servicing routine by 2030.

皇冠体育app government recently unveiled its Plan for Space Sustainability to tackle the growing volume of debris in space, which is both environmentally and commercially unsustainable. 皇冠体育app plan includes action to clean up the Earth鈥檚 orbit as well as to ensure future projects minimise their footprint, for instance through in-orbit servicing and manufacturing to prolong a satellite鈥檚 life or recycle satellites in orbit, as well as retrieving satellites and mitigating debris.

皇冠体育app UK has previously provided funding for the implementation of the UN Office for Outer Space Activities (UNOOSA) . To achieve a safe and sustainable space environment, the UK is playing a leading role alongside UNOOSA in the adoption of these guidelines, which set out how countries and companies can help preserve the outer space environment for future generations.

皇冠体育app UK is also the leading contributor to the European Space Agency鈥檚 (ESA) Space Safety programme, which provides collaboration and funding opportunities for UK scientists and industry.