What is Active debris removal (ADR)?

Active debris removal (ADR) is like cleaning up toys after playtime, but way up in space!

Imagine you and your friends are playing with lots of toy cars in a big room. After a while, the room gets cluttered with all the toy cars scattered everywhere. Cleaning them up would make it easier for everyone to play again.

That's what ADR does, but instead of toys, it cleans up space junk, old satellites, parts from broken rockets, and other bits floating around in space.

ADR uses special robots or spacecraft that can grab or push the space junk. These helpers are like the cleanup crew who sweep up the toy cars.

Sometimes they use nets to catch the junk, like how you might use a net to catch fish in a pond. Other times, they might give it a little nudge so it goes somewhere less busy, kind of like moving a toy car from one corner of the room to another.

By doing this, ADR helps keep space safe and tidy for future missions, just like cleaning up makes playtime more fun! Active debris removal (ADR) is like cleaning up toys after playtime, but way up in space!

Imagine you and your friends are playing with lots of toy cars in a big room. After a while, the room gets cluttered with all the toy cars scattered everywhere. Cleaning them up would make it easier for everyone to play again.

That's what ADR does, but instead of toys, it cleans up space junk, old satellites, parts from broken rockets, and other bits floating around in space.