Private space-junk probe gets up-close look at discarded rocket in orbit

  • Astroscale’s ADRAS-J orbital inspection mission captures close-up footage of space debris
  • No substantial damage found on the 15-year-old rocket stage
  • ADRAS-J is the world’s first attempt at approaching and surveying space debris
  • Space debris poses a risk to operational satellites and the International Space Station
  • Astroscale’s ADRAS-J2 mission aims to remove large pieces of debris from orbit in 2027

Astroscale’s ADRAS-J orbital inspection mission has captured stunning footage of a 15-year-old rocket stage from just 50 meters away, revealing no significant damage. This marks a milestone for the company as they prepare for their groundbreaking ADRAS-J2 mission to remove large pieces of space debris from orbit in 2027. The footage will provide essential data to support future missions aimed at restoring order in cluttered orbits.

Factuality Level: 9
Factuality Justification: The article provides accurate and objective information about Astroscale’s ADRAS-J orbital inspection mission, the space debris issue, and future plans for removing debris from orbit. It includes relevant details, quotes from the company, and mentions related projects by other organizations.
Noise Level: 3
Noise Justification: The article provides relevant and informative content about Astroscale’s ADRAS-J orbital inspection mission and its progress towards removing space debris. It includes details on the company’s previous achievements and future plans, as well as information about the growing issue of space debris. The article stays on topic and supports its claims with evidence from Astroscale’s statements and updates from other space agencies.
Public Companies: European Space Agency (), Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Private Companies: Astroscale,OneWeb,ClearSpace
Key People:


Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: Astroscale and related space companies
Financial Rating Justification: The article discusses Astroscale’s successful mission to inspect a piece of space debris, which is a step towards addressing the issue of space debris and its impact on operational satellites and the International Space Station. This has implications for the financial markets and companies involved in space technology and debris removal, such as Astroscale, JAXA, OneWeb, and the U.K. Space Agency.
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: Other
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: No
Extreme Rating Justification: There is no extreme event mentioned in the article. The content discusses space debris and Astroscale’s mission to remove it, but there are no major disasters or crises described.

Reported publicly: www.space.com