New image reveals stunning details of rocket upper stage taken from fixed-point observation.

JAXA’s Commercial Removal of Debris Demonstration (CRD2) program is one of the world’s first technology demonstrations of removing large-scale debris from orbit.

From thousands of kilometers down to several hundred meters, the Rendezvous and Proximity Operations mission marks a significant achievement in safely approaching unprepared objects in space.

ADRAS-J’s visual camera detects rocket upper stage and achieves Angles-Only Navigation at several hundred kilometers.

This initial rendezvous phase requires careful planning of several orbit-raising manoeuvres to ensure an accurate, precise and safe approach to the client.

The ADRAS-J mission is the world’s first attempt to safely approach, characterize and survey the state of an existing piece of large debris through RPO.

ADRAS-J will be launched on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand on Sunday, February 18.

The mission demonstrated capabilities essential for on-orbit servicing, including capture and rendezvous and proximity operations.

Astroscale has successfully completed the System Requirements Review of its Active Debris Removal (ADR) mission, COSMIC – Clearing Outer Space Mission through Innovative Capture.

The ADRAS-J mission is the world’s first attempt to safely approach, characterize and survey the state of an existing piece of large debris through Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO).