An image illustrates the Active Debris Removal Satellite, which is under development by the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), approaching its target. The satellite uses its robotic arm to lower the captured satellite's orbital altitude and releases it, allowing it to burn up from atmospheric friction upon reentry. (Korea AeroSpace Administration)

By Uyen Nguyen

Like the space debris-cleaning ship in the domestic sci-fi film "Space Sweepers," a homegrown satellite set for launch next year will capture and remove such trash.

The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) on Oct. 26 said it held a meeting on the review of the readiness of system integration for the Active Debris Removal Satellite (ADR-SAT) at the Satellite Technology Research Center of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon's Yuseong-gu District.

The rising number of satellite launches worldwide has led to the growth in the volume of space debris in orbit, raising the risk of collisions with satellites.

Undergoing domestic research and development, the ADR-SAT tracks defunct satellites and captures them with a robotic arm. It lowers the captured satellite's orbital altitude and releases it, causing it to burn up from friction upon reentry in the atmosphere.

The meeting assessed the readiness of the satellite's subsystems and the technical risks that could arise during system integration.

After the review confirmed that the satellite met the requirements for system integration, the center said it will start assembly of the flight model next month.

Scheduled to go into orbit next year via the sixth launch of the homegrown rocket Nuri, the cleaning satellite will carry out the country's first mission to remove space debris.

KASA Administrator Oh Taeseog hailed the ADR-SAT as "a world-first attempt at advanced satellite technology."

"Through our own technological capacities, we will raise the country's capacity to respond to space hazards by developing the core technology for removing space debris that threatens the safety of our satellites, which are national assets." he added.

uyen81@korea.kr