Japan’s Astroscale has published a video taken by their ADRAS-J satellite on social network X. It shows a record-breaking approach with space debris, during which the spacecraft approached it at a distance of only 15 meters.
【本日公開】
ADRAS-Jがデブリの後方約15mに接近時の映像です
将来のミッションで捕獲箇所として想定している衛星分離部（PAF）にググーっと移動していく様子がわかると思います✨
15mは民間企業がRPO（ランデブ・近傍運用）を通じて実際のデブリに接近した、世界で最も近い距離です🛰️ pic.twitter.com/X5vuqMOPBq— 【公式】Astroscale Japan | アストロスケール (@astroscale_JP) February 26, 2025
The ADRAS-J satellite was built by Astroscale on behalf of JAXA. It was launched into orbit in February 2024. The 150-kilogram vehicle is designed to demonstrate the ability to remove large fragments of space debris from orbit. The object chosen for the demonstration was the upper stage of the H-2A rocket; it has been in orbit since 2009. It is 11 meters long, 4 meters in diameter and weighs about 3 tons.
Convergence with the stage began in April 2024. By May, ADRAS-J approached it at a distance of 50 meters, and in July, it was circled. Not all of these operations came out right the first time. The satellite activated its autonomous collision avoidance system several times, which moved it away from the stage to a safe distance. Because of this, the company had to try again.
Finally, during the final part of its mission, the satellite approached the stage at a distance of only 15 meters. This is the closest approach to space debris ever made by a private company.
According to Astroscale’s statement, ADRAS-J has fully accomplished all of its objectives. The data collected during the rendezvous will be used to prepare the second phase of the program, during which the ADRAS-J2 vehicle will be sent to the stage and try to capture to deorbit it. The launch of the space cleaner could take place as early as 2027.
Earlier we reported on how the wreckage of a Falcon 9 rocket fell in Poland.
