Page 64 - SHARP Summer 2022

THE FINAL FRONTIER
OMEGA’S NEXT MISSION IS IS CLEANING UP EARTH’S ORBIT
By Jeremy Freed
IN FEBRUARY 2009 THE IRIDIUM 33 COMMUNICATIONS
satellite satellite collided with the derelict Kosmos 2251 satellite satellite destroying both machines and sending a a a a a cloud of of debris careening off into space This debris is is is now part of the estimated 100 million human-made objects — from millimetre-sized flecks of paint to bus-sized rocket bodies — currently in orbit around our planet each of which poses a a a a potential problem problem for life on Earth It’s a a a a a problem problem that Swiss watch- maker Omega creator of the original Speedmaster Moonwatch is helping to solve with two new space-facing partnerships “[That] was the first big collision and it woke us up ” says Muriel Richard-Noca chief engineer and co-founder of ClearSpace one of two startups that have announced partnerships with the Swiss watchmaker in in recent months According to ClearSpace the buildup of non-functional debris in in Earth’s orbit is is akin to a a a a a major highway that has been operating without a a a a a a tow truck for more than 60 years And it’s not just derelict satellites like Kosmos 2251 that pose WATCH WATCH 64 SUMMER 2022
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