Space debris photographed from every angle.
The ADRAS-J satellite, developed by Japanese private company Astroscale, was able to maneuver 50 meters around the wreckage of the second stage of the H-IIA rocket, launched in 2009, to photograph it from all angles.
This is a new step in Japan's space debris cleanup capability. On July 15 and 16, 2024, Astroscale's ADRAS-J (Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan) satellite was able to examine the debris of the second stage of the HII-A rocket from every angle, moving around it at a distance of 50 meters.
This first paves the way for the next phase of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)-funded commercial space debris removal pilot program: capturing and deorbiting this “uncooperative” object, which weighs 3 tons, is 11 meters long and 4 meters in diameter.
It was launched in 2009 to put an Earth observation satellite into orbit. JosatThe space debris is moving at an altitude of 600 kilometers and is today identified as 2009-002J.
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