ESA Funding 2025 ClearSpace Debris Removal Spacecraft
An artist rendering of the ClearSpace debris removal spacecraft capturing a piece of 100 kg debris. Planned to launch in 2025, this 117 million Euro mission will prove valuable concepts related to active debris removal. Credit: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne/J. Caillet.
The European Space Agency will be launching a debris cleaning robot in 2025. This test mission designed by ClearSpace, called ClearSpace-1, is the result of a recently signed debris removal contract with ESA. The mission will use four arms on a spacecraft to capture a 100 kg debris target, a Vespa adapter ring, which was left in an 800 km orbit after a 2013 Arianespace Vega launch of ESA’s Proba-V remote-sensing satellite. After successful capture, both the ClearSpace spacecraft and debris will re-enter and burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.
This mission has an estimated cost of 117 million Euros (a bit over 130 million USD). The vehicle is expected to weigh less than 400 kilograms, and be launched into a 500 km orbit before using thrusters to raise its orbit to match the 600 km by 800 km orbit of the target debris.
This mission is noteworthy because it aims to prove an approach to deorbit a large piece of space debris. Aside from dead spacecraft, debris from rocket launches and satellite deployment pose a significant risk to current and future space assets.
However, this mission’s single use plan and high costs don’t have sustainability in mind. Matt Desch, CEO of Iridium, recently suggested paying a price of $10,000 per satellite deorbited. This shows a monumental disparity between what ESA is paying ($130 million) and what a commercial firm is willing to pay ($10,000) to deorbit satellites.
Launch is likely a significant portion of the ClearSpace-1 mission, exacerbated by being launched on a costly European vehicle (albeit this is the result of receiving ESA funding). Yet any funding used for R&D of the debris removal technology is a worthy investment, especially for technology related to automated spacecraft control and in-orbit rendezvous. All of these technologies will be critical for future active debris removal missions, along with future space manufacturing and mining missions.
With a launch set for 2025, there will be plenty of time for additional firms to develop alternate approaches for active in-space debris removal. The field is ripe for innovation.
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