New device enables satellites to decommission themselves

Italian company D-Orbit has developed flight-ready technology that can be integrated into satellites and remove them from orbit quickly and safely at the end of their mission or when they become unresponsive.

In over 50 years of Space activity, about 7 000 satellites have been launched, with only 2 000 of them still being active today. “Satellites are not being removed when they serve their purpose. Conjure up the image of a car that has run out of fuel in a highway as an analogy. It is fine to leave it in the place where the engine has stalled, but when traffic starts to grow, there will soon be a congestion problem. This is what the situation looks like in Space,” points out Stefano Antonetti, Head of Sales for Institutional Business of D-Orbit.

Further details: New device enables satellites to decommission themselves