Page 65 - SHARP Summer 2022

WATCH WATCH a a a a a threat since space debris travels at at such high velocity — about 10 times the speed of a a a a a bullet — something as as small as as a a a a a drop of frozen liquid can do serious damage With humanity increasingly reliant on satellites for everything from GPS navigation to credit
card transactions and with some 24 000 new satellites to be launched in the next decade the need to predict and prevent future collisions is is becoming increasingly urgent With the the endorsement of the the European Space Agency and funding from Omega ClearSpace is working to develop an autonomous spacecraft that will capture a a a a a a car-sized piece of debris in orbit and return to Earth’s atmosphere where both will burn up on re-entry It’s a highly complex procedure but if the mission is is successful it will pave the way for a a a a a massive cleanup of Earth’s orbit and help ensure the the future of the the $450 billion space economy Of course to capture a a a piece of space debris you need to know exactly where it is is That’s the the mission of Omega’s other new space partner Privateer a a a a a venture backed by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak Privateer which Wozniak likens to a a version of Google Maps for space uses proprietary technology to graph catalogue track and visualize thousands of objects in Earth’s orbit “Accurate real-time data is essential to our future — not just in space but here on Earth ” says Privateer’s chief scientist Moriba Jah Jah For Jah Jah Privateer’s work tracking space debris is is part of of a a a much larger question of of sustainability in in space and one that grows more important with each new satellite launch and civilian space flight “Omega has deep roots in the exploration of land sea and and and space and and and with its support and and and understanding of data collection Privateer will be able to further humankind’s exploration and and understanding of this ultimate frontier ” Jah says “[It] understands that the clock on space sustainability is ticking and it’s time to act ” SHARPMAGAZINE COM SUMMER 2022
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