The
European
Space
Agency
(ESA)
plans
to
launch
a
satellite
into
Earth’s
orbit
in
2027
to
watch
it
get
wrecked
as
it
reenters
the
atmosphere.
The
project
is
intended
to
help
understand
how
exactly
satellites
break
apart
so
that
scientists
can
learn
how
to
prevent
the
creation
of
more
space
debris.
Space
junk
is
becoming
a
bigger
problem
as
we
send
more
satellites
into
orbit,
but
there
are
efforts
to
try
and
address
it.
This
mission
is
part
of
the
ESA’s
Zero
Debris
Charter
initiative
to
stop
the
creation
of
additional
space
debris
by
2030.
The
mission
is
called
the
Destructive
Reentry
Assessment
Container
Object
(DRACO),
and
the
insides
of
the
satellite
will
collect
data
as
the
craft
gets
destroyed
during
reentry
into
the
atmosphere.
It
will
also
contain
a
40-centimeter
capsule
designed
to
survive
the
destruction
that
will
transmit
the
collected
data
as
the
capsule
moves
toward
the
ocean.
Aerospace
engineering
company
Deimos
is
contracted
to
build
DRACO,
which
will
be
about
the
size
of
a
washing
machine
and
weigh
about
200kg
(441
pounds).
It
will
contain
200
sensors
and
four
cameras
but
no
propulsion
or
navigation
systems.
Most
space
debris
that
returns
to
Earth
is
uncontrolled
anyway,
and
the
point
is
to
closely
mimic
an
average
reentry,
according
to
the
ESA’s
press
release.
It’s
mission-critical
to
get
the
data
before
the
capsule
hits
the
water,
and
there
could
be
challenges,
like
trying
to
deploy
a
parachute
while
tumbling
through
the
sky.
The
ESA
says
there
will
be
a
20-minute
window
to
collect
the
data.
Original author: Umar Shakir
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