Astroscale Ready to Launch World’s First Orbital Debris Inspection Mission

A mission by the Japanese private company Astroscale is ready to inspect a derelict upper stage in low-Earth orbit, company executives announced in a media briefing on Thursday (Sept. 28).  

The Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan (ADRAS-J) mission will be the first commercial spacecraft to approach and study a piece of orbital debris up close in space. And, pending any issues from the last-minute hold on its launch window, it’s all but set to go.