Private company wants to clean up space junk with ‘capture bags’ in Earth orbit
A bag that one day might catch bits floating in Earth orbit is the subject of NASA’s most recent space debris technology contract. TransAstra, a startup in space logistics, recently received a $850,000 early-stage NASA contract for a bag that might inflate once it enters Earth orbit . However, as the corporation will be entrusted with testing this equipment on the ground using inflatable struts, this is not a space debris mission for flight. SpaceNews reported the contract award. Second Contract for Inflatable Catch Bags This will be TransAstra’s second contract for inflatable catch bags in recent years. Additionally, they were given a NASA early-stage contract for 2021, which initially had an emphasis on asteroid or space rock capture However, TransAstra quickly understood that asteroids and space debris face many of the same difficulties. According to firm representatives, asteroids produce pebbles, while space debris can produce minute fragments that mi...