Benefits for future generations

The ClearSpace UK spacecraft is refuellable and designed so it can keep cleaning space for years to come. But the benefits of this mission go beyond one spacecraft – the technology developed, and the things we’ll learn from it, will help us in the future too.

At the moment, when many satellites run out of fuel, we can’t send someone to fix them or move them out of the way. Learning how to safely get close to and interact with another object in space, as we will in this mission, means that future spacecraft could:

refuel satellites so they can keep working for longer
repair or upgrade them instead of replacing them
remove old satellites and keep space cleaner
build things in space that are too large or difficult to launch from Earth

Through this mission and beyond the UK is leading the way in space sustainability, taking action to protect and preserve the space environment for future generations.

ADR Pic 2 - credit ClearSpace — *Visualisation of the ADR mission: The spacecraft grabs a defunct satellite, pulls it out of orbit so it burns up in our atmosphere, then goes to collect a second and do the same. Credit: ClearSpace UK*

Header image credit: ClearSpace UK