A metal rocket stage, about 36 feet long, is zooming around Earth. This type of debris can cause problems if it collides with other objects in space. The Japanese company Astroscale plans to remove this piece of junk from orbit.
Astroscale used its ADRAS-J spacecraft to get close to the debris and capture detailed footage. The company posted online that they completed two fly-abouts around the rocket stage without finding any major damage. This is a big step towards removing the debris and creating a sustainable space environment.
It’s challenging for the satellite to operate so close to another object, especially since many objects in Earth’s orbit travel at high speeds. Astroscale tried once before but had an anomaly, so they safely backed away.
Their next two attempts were successful, and now they’re planning to use a robotic arm to capture the debris and bring it down to a lower orbit where it will eventually burn up in the atmosphere. The goal is to keep low Earth orbit clear of threatening space debris.
Source: https://mashable.com/article/space-junk-rocket-debris-footage