According to Kyodo, the satellite will be put into orbit by the Russian Soyuz"
TOKYO, November 18. /TASS/. Japanese startup Astroscale Holdings in March next year will send into orbit a special satellite for cleaning up space debris. This was reported on Wednesday by the Kyodo news Agency.
It is noted that the satellite will be put into orbit by the Russian Soyuz, which will be launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome. The satellite is six meters long and high, 11 meters wide, and weighs 175 kg. During its first test mission, the satellite will use special magnetic panels to attract space debris, after which it will enter the atmosphere and burn up along with the collected items.
Japan has previously announced plans to combat space debris. In particular, the Japanese aerospace research Agency announced plans to develop a special satellite that can use a laser to destroy small debris from rocket stages and other debris drifting in low-earth orbit. The development will be carried out jointly with the SKY Perfect JSAT satellite operator and the RIKEN state Institute of natural Sciences. According to the preliminary design, the device will have to act on the garbage with a laser beam and thus dump it into the atmosphere for subsequent combustion. It is not expected to launch such a satellite into orbit for at least three years.