Australia announced that it is planning to turn space junk into fuel, specifically power the country's in-space electric propulsion system.
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This is a great initiative since debris, such as dead rockets and other unusable spaceship parts, are floating outside Earth. Right now, various government-backed agencies and independent space companies are making huge efforts to reduce the junk orbiting the planet.
On the other hand, some experts also warned that the debris in outer space could further increase, given that many space agencies are also continuously launching their satellites to offer their own services.
Recently, TechTimes reported that a Russian anti-satellite missile destroyed an old rocket of the country. After the test was successful, researchers said that the remaining debris of the dead spaceship could also add up to the current space junk in orbit.
Australia to Make Space Junk as Fuel
According to Gadgets 360's latest report, Neumann Space, an Australian space agency, announced that it would work with three firms to transform space debris into fuel.
The agency added that the generated fuel from the space junk would power its electric propulsion system. On the other hand, Neumann Space would also work with Astroscale, a Japanese startup developing satellites to capture the floating debris outside Earth.
Nanorocks, an American tech firm, would also help the Australian space agency. It would provide its robots that can cut and store space debris. If you want to see more details, you can visit this link.
Australia's Space Junk Solution Comparable to Gas Station
The Guardian reported that Australia's new space junk solution would work just like a gas station. Neumann Space Chief Executive Officer, Herve Astier, explained that most companies are currently trying to destroy and burn the dead rockets and the unusable parts.
He added that they are making this method the main solution for the rising space debris outside the planet.
"But if it's there and you can capture it and reuse it, it makes sense from a business perspective, because you're not shipping it up there," added the company's CFO.
In other news, SpaceX Starship rockets would soon be used to build Mars Base Alpha.
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Written by: Griffin Davis
