ADRAS-J2 will go to the same H-2A upper stage, left in orbit after a 2009 launch, that is currently being inspected by the company’s ADRAS-J spacecraft. ADRAS-J has approached to within 50 meters of the stage and flown around it to assess the stage’s condition.
ADRAS-J2, the second phase of JAXA’s Commercial Removal of Debris Demonstration (CRD2) program, will return to that stage and grapple it, then lower its orbit for disposal.
Awesome, they’re actually going to try and deorbit it this time. Hopefully this will mark the start of a commercial debris removal market.
I wonder if we’ll ever see a 100% commercial (i.e. 0 gov money) debris removal mission, like from a constellation operator who wants to clean up their orbit.
I, too, enjoyed Planetes.
