”A spacecraft has successfully fired a harpoon into a target orbiting Earth in an operation that could help clean-up the tonnes of space junk threatening telecommunications satellites.
The RemoveDEBRIS spacecraft shot at a planted satellite panel, with researchers celebrating the bullseye this week.
Scientists fired the harpoon at a speed of 20 metres per second to hit the target, demonstrating the potential for collecting the rubbish just beyond our atmosphere.
It was the third of four experiments planned as part of the project, an international collaborative effort coordinated from the University of Surrey’s Space Centre in the UK.”
