The Chinese space satellite SJ-21 removed the old Compass-G2 probe from the Earth's orbit. The satellite was towed to the so-called "space cemetery", located three hundred kilometers from our planet.
The towing data was released by Brian Fluelling, who monitors the location of orbiting objects through an extensive network of telescopes. China has not yet commented on the use of its satellite. At the end of the mission, SJ-21 returned to its former geostationary equatorial orbit over the Congo Basin. Such a placement means that the device is moving along the Earth's equator at the speed of the planet itself, so it may seem that it is not moving.
Other countries are also working on technologies for cleaning up space near the planet from debris in space. For example, last year Japan launched its own mission called ELSA-d. By 2025, their developments in this direction are expected from the European Space Agency.
Some suspect that such tugs could pose a danger in the future. Thus, the head of the United States Air Force Space Command, James Dickinson, admits that such devices are capable of capturing satellites of other states.
However, space debris is becoming an increasingly significant problem. Its towing to a safe distance from the Earth makes it possible to reduce the risks of its rendezvous with spacecraft and active satellites.
The towing data was released by Brian Fluelling, who monitors the location of orbiting objects through an extensive network of telescopes. China has not yet commented on the use of its satellite. At the end of the mission, SJ-21 returned to its former geostationary equatorial orbit over the Congo Basin. Such a placement means that the device is moving along the Earth's equator at the speed of the planet itself, so it may seem that it is not moving.
Other countries are also working on technologies for cleaning up space near the planet from debris in space. For example, last year Japan launched its own mission called ELSA-d. By 2025, their developments in this direction are expected from the European Space Agency.
Some suspect that such tugs could pose a danger in the future. Thus, the head of the United States Air Force Space Command, James Dickinson, admits that such devices are capable of capturing satellites of other states.
However, space debris is becoming an increasingly significant problem. Its towing to a safe distance from the Earth makes it possible to reduce the risks of its rendezvous with spacecraft and active satellites.
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