The United Kingdom Is Launching Giant Claws Into Orbit to Clean Up Space Junk

The U.K.’s Active Debris Removal (U.K. ADR) mission aims to send a refuelable spacecraft with giant robotic claws into Earth orbit to grab two dead satellites and fling them into our planet’s atmosphere, where they will burn up, according to a government statement. The spacecraft is slated to launch from Scotland in 2029 and will be built by the U.K. branch of ClearSpace, an in-orbit servicing company. More

(Source: Smithsonian Magazine - Oct 29)