A young German entrepreneur has launched a startup aimed at addressing the escalating crisis of space debris. The venture, called ClearSpace, was founded by Moritz Lechner, who aims to develop a solution to the growing mass of defunct satellites, spent rocket stages, and other remnants of space exploration that are currently orbiting Earth. Lechner’s solution involves launching a robotic arm into space that can grab and safely deorbit space debris.
Space debris poses a significant threat to both manned and unmanned space missions. Currently, there are an estimated 128 million pieces of debris smaller than 1cm, around 900,000 pieces of debris between 1cm and 10cm, and approximately 34,000 pieces larger than 10cm in orbit around Earth. These objects travel at high speeds and can cause catastrophic damage to satellites and spacecraft.
Lechner’s ClearSpace aims to address this issue through the use of a robotic arm that can latch onto space debris and direct it towards Earth’s atmosphere, where it will burn up upon re-entry. The first mission, ClearSpace-1, is scheduled for launch in 2025 and will target a piece of debris from a European Space Agency (ESA) mission.
The ClearSpace-1 mission has received significant backing, with the ESA contributing €86 million. However, Lechner has emphasized that his company is a commercial venture and that he intends for future missions to be funded by customers who will pay to have their defunct satellites and other space debris removed.
The startup is one of several organizations globally that are seeking innovative solutions to the space debris crisis. However, there is a need for international regulations to govern the removal of space debris, with current laws unclear on issues such as ownership and liability for damage caused during the removal process.
The ClearSpace venture represents a significant step forward in addressing the space debris crisis. However, the scale of the problem is substantial, and it will require concerted efforts from governments, space agencies, and private companies worldwide to fully tackle this issue.
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