What Happened
Britain Tackles Space Junk Crisis with Manipulator Spacecraft
The UK Space Agency has awarded a £61-million contract to ClearSpace UK to remove two defunct UK satellites from orbit between 2029 and 2032. The mission aims to tackle the growing problem of space junk, which poses a significant threat to operational satellites and space exploration. The spacecraft will be launched from the Shetland Islands and will use robotic manipulators to grapple with the target satellites, before pushing them into a controlled reentry orbit. This effort is part of a broader push to address the issue of space debris, with the UK seeking to lead the global effort to clean up space, as reported by Unknown Source.