In-orbit refueling is on the way: https://payloadspace.com/orbit-fab-and-clearspace-collaborate-on-in-orbit-refueling/

#space #sustainability #clearspace #orbitfab

#OrbitFab Wants 'Gas Stations' in #Space for #Satellites
Of 15,000 satellites, "just over half are still functioning." "The rest, after running out of fuel and ending their serviceable life, have either burned up in the atmosphere or are still orbiting the planet as useless hunks of metal" — scattering "an aura of #spacejunk around the planet."
"One way to start tackling the problem — refueling satellites rather than decommissioning them once they run out of power."
https://www.cnn.com/world/orbit-fab-gas-stations-in-space-scn-spc-intl/index.html

#NASA is working on #OSAM1, which was scheduled to launch in 📆 2026 and will attempt to grab and refuel Landsat-7, an Earth-observation #satellite 🛰️ that has run out of gas ⛽. “This is a mission to refuel a satellite that wasn’t prepared to be refueled”.
#OrbitFab wants to focus on those that have yet to launch - "we are a gas cap company" https://edition.cnn.com/world/orbit-fab-gas-stations-in-space-scn-spc-intl/index.html

Seradata: ":Astroscale updates us on its progress on COSMIC an ADR project for the UK government"

"COSMIC (Cleaning up Outer Space Mission through Innovative Capture) is a UKSA-sponsored ADR (Active Debris Removal) mission to de-orbit two aged British satellites .." "targets .. not yet fixed, .. two selected will be from .. UoSAT-12 and UoSAT-3, -4. and -5."

https://www.seradata.com/iac-2023-baku-astroscale-updates-us-on-its-progress-on-cosmic-an-adr-project-for-the-uk-government/

5.10.2023

#ADR #Astroscale #COSMIC #IAC #IAC2023 #OrbitFab #RAFTI #UK #UKSA #Weltraummüll #Weltraumschrott