UK satellite 'sets sail' for return to Earth

TechDemoSat-1 was launched in 2014 to trial a number of new in-orbit technologies but has now reached the end of its operational life. To bring it out of the sky faster than would ordinarily be the case, it has deployed a "drag sail". This large membrane will catch residual air molecules at its altitude of 635km and pull TDS-1 quickly into Earth's atmosphere where it will burn up. There is a lot of interest currently in "clean space" technologies. More

(Source: BBC News - Jun 1)