Space junk capable of taking out future missions from Earth is to be cleaned up in an ambitious project by scientists from one of Europe’s most advanced technical universities in Switzerland.
The ClearSpace project by researchers and academics at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) aims to slow down unused satellites and discarded rocket components so they disintegrate on re-entry to Earth.
Launching into space has become very affordable, so we expect this problem of space debris to continue and increase
Luc Piguet,
chief executive of ClearSpace SA
In 2019, ClearSpace was selected by the European Space Agency to lead the first mission to remove debris from orbit by 2025.
As life on Earth becomes ever more reliant on developments in space and its exploration, keeping Earth’s orbit free from potentially devastating man-made materials has reached crisis point.
While thousands of smaller pieces of material orbit the planet, a single object the size of a marble has the potential to cause damage akin to a hand grenade if it collides at high speed with a satellite or launch craft.
“Many objects are non-operational and tumbling uncontrollably around Earth,” said Luc Piguet, chief executive of ClearSpace SA.
“This brings a risk of collision. They are usually failed rocket stages or failed satellites and there are around 5,000 currently in orbit.”
Only a short stroll from the banks of Lake Geneva, the university is home to some of the country’s sharpest minds and also has a research centre in Ras Al Khaimah.
Sustainability and environmental innovations are at the heart of much of the work of the scientists and students on campus, with a special division dedicated to cleaning up Earth’s orbit.
The university’s eSpace programme offers 26 academic courses in space technology, with sustainable attitudes towards exploration and research.
The Lausanne institute is ranked 18th on a global list of universities, with performance graded according to academic or research performance.
Why space junk is such a problem
Space infrastructure has become more essential for our daily lives.
Everything from telecoms and internet access to GPS, weather reports, flight radar and observation of pollution levels and deforestation on Earth rely on space technology.
“Every year over the last two decades we have been adding 74 derelict satellites to space, so it has been a steady growth,” Mr Piguet said.
“This result is a lot of fragmentation events in either collisions or explosions of these objects, which generate an exponentially growing source of debris.”
This event is known as the Kessler Syndrome and causes an avalanche effect of space debris.
Former Nasa scientist Donald Kessler's theory suggests continuing to launch into space without a plan of bringing things back down to Earth would cause debris to reach a critical mass, where collisions between objects would be inevitable.
These impacts can occur at speeds of 28,000kph and create more debris, which in turn create more collisions.
About 3,400 live satellites are circling Earth providing critical information and infrastructure on the ground.
The UAE has satellites in low-Earth orbit that produce data commercially for private companies all over the world, with KhalifaSat, the first Emirati-built satellite, used to boost the commercial space sector.
Of the 5,000 or so known items circling the planet at speed, 50 larger items are of most concern.
How will the space junk be cleared?
A ClearSpace pod will approach debris in a ‘safe orbit’ – the same rotating orbit as the item the pod aims to collect.
Once the capture of debris is complete, it is slowed down enough to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at a specific area where there is low air traffic or risk of debris making contact with the ground.
The project is still in its design phase but involves several European nations, 50 engineers and 20 companies. ClearSpace is expected to launch its first module by 2025 at a cost of about €110 million ($130.2m).
The ClearSpace 1 mission will aim to remove one large piece of rocket cone, with other missions planned alongside British and Japanese space programmes.
“Launching into space has become very affordable, so we expect this problem of space debris to continue and increase,” Mr Piguet said.
“We created this start-up to deal with active removal of debris or failed satellites.
“We want to build a reusable platform which will be a satellite or servicer that is able to bring up a satellite into orbit, deploy it and then capture a derelict object and re-orbit it.
“It will then dock with another satellite and then continue other operations like repairs to other satellites while in orbit.
“We have all the technology available to do navigation, capture, rendezvous and manipulation with all the robotics required to complete the process.
“It will help create a safer space environment with a very limited level of risk.”
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Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh359,000
On sale: now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
FIGHT INFO
Men’s 60kg Round 1:
Ahmad Shuja Jamal (AFG) beat Krisada Takhiankliang (THA) - points
Hyan Aljmyah (SYR) beat Akram Alyminee (YEM) - retired Round 1
Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) beat Bhanu Pratap Pandit (IND) - TKO Round 1
Men’s 71kg Round 1:
Seyed Kaveh Soleyman (IRI) beat Abedel Rahman (JOR) - RSC round 3.
Amine Al Moatassime (UAE) walk over Ritiz Puri (NEP)
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
Match info
Arsenal 0
Manchester City 2
Sterling (14'), Bernardo Silva (64')
US PGA Championship in numbers
1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.
2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.
3 Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.
4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.
5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.
6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.
7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.
8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.
9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.
10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.
11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.
12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.
13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.
14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.
15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.
16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.
17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.
18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).
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Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
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11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
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The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 640hp
Torque: 760nm
On sale: 2026
Price: Not announced yet
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Way It Was: My Life with Frank Sinatra by Eliot Weisman and Jennifer Valoppi
Hachette Books
Superliminal%20
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Points tally
1. Australia 52; 2. New Zealand 44; 3. South Africa 36; 4. Sri Lanka 35; 5. UAE 27; 6. India 27; 7. England 26; 8. Singapore 8; 9. Malaysia 3
