ADRAS-J Mission Rendezvous Operations Underway
ADRAS-J Mission Rendezvous Operations Underway
Spacecraft is Maneuvering Towards the Client Spacecraft's Orbit
The rendezvous operations phase of the Astroscale ADRAS-J mission today are underway. In this phase, the operations team based in Japan and the UK will use ADRAS-J’s propulsion system to start maneuvering towards the orbit of the client spacecraft. This initial rendezvous phase requires careful planning of several orbit raising maneuvers to ensure accurate, precise and safe approach to the client.
Rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) are fundamental for any future on-orbit servicing, ensuring the safe and secure approach of servicer spacecraft to client spacecraft and other objects such as space debris. ADRAS-J is the world’s first attempt to safely approach and characterize an existing piece of large debris through RPO. Specifically, ADRAS-J is designed to rendezvous with an unprepared Japanese H2A upper stage rocket body, measuring approximately 11 meters (36 feet) in length, 4 meters (13 feet) in diameter, and weighing approximately 3 tons.
Space debris is an example of an unprepared client, meaning a space object that has not been prepared with technologies that offer visual aids or enable docking for potential servicing or removal. Unprepared client objects present several challenges. For example, the client does not transmit any GPS data on its own, so its precise location is not provided. The condition of the structure of the client is also unknown. In addition, the attitude and altitude of the client cannot be controlled, and the client cannot be communicated with. Given these factors, the ADRAS-J mission will demonstrate the most challenging RPO capabilities necessary for on-orbit services.