What Happened
South Korea Develops Active Control Satellite to Remove Space Debris
South Korea is developing an active control satellite to capture and remove defunct satellites and other objects in orbit, with a planned launch in 2027 on the sixth flight of the Nuri rocket. The satellite, developed by the Korea Aerospace Administration, will use a robotic arm and clamp to capture its target, and then lower the combined orbital altitude to allow the target to re-enter the atmosphere and burn up. The likely first target is Wooribyul-3, a decommissioned Korean Earth-observation satellite that has been in orbit for 24 years. This project was first reported by Chosunbiz and Business Today.