Astroscale’s ADRAS-J Satellite Successfully Launched into Orbit
On Sunday, Astroscale’s ADRAS-J spacecraft, a demonstration satellite aimed at informing future efforts to clean up space debris, was successfully launched from New Zealand. The satellite hitched a ride to space on an Electron rocket from Rocket Lab. Its mission, chosen by Japan’s space agency (JAXA) for Phase I of the Commercial Removal of Debris Demonstration program, involves ADRAS-J meeting up with an old Japanese rocket upper stage that has been in orbit since 2009.