Japan to launch satellite to study space junk in February

Rocket Lab. is set to launch a mission for a Japanese company working on a way to safely remove old space debris orbiting Earth, Report informs referring to Fox Weather.

The "On Closer Inspection" mission is scheduled to launch during a 14-day window that opens on February 19 from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand and will deploy the Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan (ADRAS-J) satellite for Astroscale Japan Inc.

According to a news release, the mission is the first phase of an orbital debris removal program, and the mission is designed to test technologies and operations for approaching and monitoring debris, also known as "space junk."

The data received from the mission will then assist in removing the debris to "ensure the sustainable use of space for future generations."

After launch, the ADRAS-J satellite will approach an old rocket stage in Earth’s orbit to observe it, understand how it's behaving and then determine the potential methods for assisting in its deorbit in the future.

The rocket stage being observed is the Japanese H-2A upper stage left in Earth’s orbit after the launch of the GOSAT Earth observation satellite n 2009.

The ADRAS-J satellite will fly around the stage, which is about 36 feet long and 14 feet in diameter, inspecting it with cameras.

According to the news release, the mission is expected to last between three and six months.

It's a mission that needs all the pieces to come together in order for it to be successful. To enable the rendezvous with a "non-cooperative space object" requires a dedicated launch, highly responsive mission planning and "extremely tight margins on orbital parameters."