UK to launch world's 1st robot-claw satellite cleanup mission 2029
Technology
The UK is about to make history by launching the world's first space mission with a robot claw designed to grab and remove old satellites.
Backed by an $81 million deal with ClearSpace, the mission will blast off from Scotland in 2029 and aims to collect and burn up two dead satellites by 2032 using a four-armed robotic grabber.
UK project targets orbital debris threat
Space junk is piling up: there are 15,587 of the 33,269 tracked objects floating around, threatening everything from GPS to internet connections.
The UK's new project hopes to keep space safe for future missions and daily tech we all use.
As UK Space Minister Liz Lloyd put it, leading the way on cleaning up orbit could inspire other countries to follow suit.