The junk-on-junk collision created even more space junk, not to mention a headache for the scientists working on the ESA's clean up mission.
, to approach the adapter, carefully close itself around the debris, and then fly down to Earth with its payload in tow.It now appears that another random piece of space junk has hit the adapter, creatingspace junk — as well as junking the ESA's goal to remove the 250 pound VESPA in one piece. It's terrible luck, but also a perfect illustration of the perils of our detritis-filled orbit.
Although the collision wasn't directly observed, all evidence indicates the "hypervelocity impact of a small, untracked object" that smashed into the adapter and senBut not all may be lost. Followup observations have revealed that the adapter is still mostly intact, and that its orbit was not significantly altered. Its fragments also don't appear to pose any risk to other orbiting spacecraft.
On top of that, there should be plenty of time to adjust, as Clearspace-1's launch is slated for 2026. For now, the ESA says it's "carefully evaluating the event's impact on the mission." The mission is currently continuing as planned while more data is gathered, but it will be weeks until a full analysis can be completed.
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