Astroscale's ADRAS-J satellite, launched by a Rocket Lab Electron rocket in February 2024, captured close-up images of a discarded 11-meter-long (36 feet) H-2A rocket upper stage that has been orbiting Earth for nearly 20 years as part of JAXA's CRD2 program, marking a world first.

Satellites in Earth's orbit are equipped with cameras that can capture images of space debris, including large pieces of abandoned rockets and other discarded objects, allowing companies like Astroscale to analyze their condition and plan for safe removal.

The ADRAS-J satellite used ground-based techniques and Model Matching Navigation to locate and estimate the distance to the target object, approaching within 50 meters on June 14 to capture images showcasing its condition and spin rate.

Space debris poses a hazard to satellites and human-crewed habitats. NASA estimates there are 6,000 tons of space junk in Earth's orbit, traveling at high speeds, caused by defunct satellites, rocket parts, and collisions, creating more debris.

Astroscale aims to remove space debris by executing safe approach maneuvers and gathering data, with plans for more controlled close approaches in the next phase of the CRD2 mission, potentially using robotic arms to capture and deorbit the debris.

Efforts to remove space debris have been ongoing for years, as the accumulation of space junk is a growing concern for space operations, and ADRAS-J is part of addressing this issue and setting a sustainable environment for future generations.

Orbital debris doesn't broadcast its location, so tracking is done on the ground and on the satellite for a safe approach maneuver, as space junk poses a significant threat due to its high speed and the potential for catastrophic collisions.

Astroscale is developing spacecraft to manage satellites in orbit, providing services like life extension and "end of life" services for commercial satellites, with the next phase of the CRD2 program planned for 2026 to actively deorbit the upper stage.

The company shared additional images captured by ADRAS-J on YouTube for public viewing, and at the end of the mission, ADRAS-J will transition to a safe orbit to avoid collisions with space junk.

Sources: Hackaday, TechCrunch, TweakTown, Digital Trends, Space.com, Brytfmonline, and PetaPixel.

This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.

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Over the past several weeks a hard truth has become undeniable: The United States of America is no longer the all-powerful superpower it has been since the end of the Cold War. Far from it. The strategic implications of this state of affairs are epic for both the US and its allies.

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A nation's position in the global pecking order is based on two things – its capabilities and its credibility. America's capabilities have diminished relative to its superpower competitors in a stunning way. And so has its credibility.

For over a generation, US leaders eschewed "the weaponization of space." But as they congratulated themselves for their restraint, the Chinese and the Russians weaponized space.

On Nov. 16, Russia launched a surface-to-air missile into space that destroyed an antiquated Cosmos spy satellite located dangerously close to the International Space Station. The satellite exploded into 1,500 pieces, all of which were large enough to imperil the space station and the eight astronauts (including two Russians) on board. NASA responded with a nasty condemnation.

This brings us to China.

China's anti-satellite program is far vaster than Russia's. China has missiles capable of destroying satellites and it fields laser and jamming technologies capable of blocking satellite communications. Last month, China raised its anti-satellite capabilities up several notches with its launch of Shijian-21. Shijian-21 is a satellite with a robotic arm which the Chinese claim is geared towards cleaning "space junk."

US Air Force Gen. James Dickinson has a different, more plausible explanation for the arm's purpose. Speaking to Congress in April, Dickenson said, "Space-based robotic arm technology could be used in a future system for grappling other satellites."

In other words, the "space junk" China was referring to is US satellites.

A successful assault on US satellites would paralyze the US and allied armed forces. Depending on how badly US satellites are crippled, an anti-satellite strike could also devastate the US economy and much of the global economy.

In an interview last weekend at a security forum in Halifax, Canada, deputy US Space Command Commander Gen. David Thompson discussed the US response to the aggressive actions China and Russia are taking against US satellites.

Thompson said that Space Command is focused on hardening "the architecture" of US satellites. The idea is to massively increase the number of satellites and to disperse them while changing the way they communicate with each other and with earth to diminish the threat that either space-based on ground-based attacks against them could pose to the US and its allies. The problem is that all this costs money. And it isn't clear whether the money will be forthcoming, and how long it will take to build the requisite defenses.

Thompson didn't directly discuss US offensive capabilities against Chinese or Russian satellites. He did note that destroying satellites with surface-to-air missiles is a fairly simple task that any state with ballistic missiles can accomplish. Missile technology expert Dr. Stephen Bryen noted in a recent episode of my webcast that the US is capable of launching its own satellite-killing satellites. But to date, the Pentagon has expressed no interest in doing so.

The fact that both Russia and China have the capacity to destroy and sabotage US satellite systems would be bad enough if it were the only aspect of the two powers' weaponization of space. But it isn't the only – or even biggest -- threat the US faces from its adversaries' weaponization of space. The threat of hypersonic missiles is far worse.

Hypersonic speed is anything between five and 20 times the speed of sound. According to Gen. John Hyten, US Deputy Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, over the past five years, the Chinese have conducted hundreds of hypersonic missile tests while the US conducted only nine. The main danger emanating from hypersonic missiles is that they are guided from the moment of launch to the moment of impact. They can change direction throughout their flight. Combined with their high speeds, hypersonic missiles are difficult to detect and impossible to intercept.

Last month, the Financial Times revealed that over the summer China launched a hypersonic missile that successfully circled the earth before accelerating to its designated target. The Americans were reportedly stunned by the Chinese launch. They had been operating under the belief that the Chinese were several years away from that sort of capability.

The Russians first deployed hypersonic missiles in 2018. Since then, they have developed and deployed ground, air, naval and space-based hypersonic missiles. Last week Hyten warned the Chinese system looks like "a first strike system," that is, it can form the basis of a Chinese surprise nuclear attack on the US.

Earlier this year the US and Israel finalized an agreement to jointly develop the Arrow 4 missile defense program. The program will be carried out by Israel Aircraft Industries and Lockheed-Martin. One of its goals is to develop and deploy a system to defend against hypersonic missiles. Since there are no Middle Eastern powers with hypersonic capabilities, the implications of the Arrow 4 program are clear. For the first time, the US is working with Israel to develop technologies that will primarily protect the US.

At the Halifax forum, Thompson acknowledged that the US currently has no hypersonic missiles. Although the Army, Navy and Air Force are all developing hypersonic systems, he admitted that it will take years for the US to achieve the capabilities Russia and China already have. In other words, over the next several years, Russia and China will enjoy a strategic advantage over the US the likes of which they've never seen. Their hypersonic missiles, combined with their anti-satellite capabilities and their seriousness of intent render the US more vulnerable to foreign attack than it has been since World War II.

All of this would be far less disconcerting if the US were demonstrating any seriousness of intent either towards its allies or its enemies. But the opposite is the case.

Hyten was asked whether China's hypersonic missile test represented a new "Sputnik moment," like the panic that seized the Americans after the Soviet Union became the first nation in space with its 1957 launch of the Sputnik satellite. That panic spurred massive investment in US technology development. Hyten's response was instructive.

Like Sputnik, Hyten said, "From a technology perspective, it's pretty impressive.

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"But Sputnik created a sense of urgency in the United States. The [Chinese] test on July 27 did not create a sense of urgency. I think it probably should create a sense of urgency."

Space isn't the only place where the US is responding with a shrug to rising threats. Take Iran and its nuclear program for example.

Needless to say, whereas the US is now behind China and Russia on space-based weapons, it is well ahead of Iran on all weapons. As Iran sprints towards the nuclear finish line, the US could fairly easily block it from becoming a nuclear power. But neither US enemies nor US allies believe it has any intention of doing so.

Ahead of the reinstatement of the indirect nuclear talks with Iran in Vienna next week, the administration took some steps to build up its credibility with its allies. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin travelled to Israel and the Persian Gulf states and proclaimed the US isn't abandoning them. US Central Command held the first-of-its-kind joint air force exercise that included Israel, the UAE and Bahrain. And US B-2s flew over Israel escorted by Israeli F-15s.

All of these steps were duly reported with the requisite enthusiasm. But no one took them seriously. This is true for two reasons.

First, the purpose of the talks in Vienna is to persuade Iran's fanatical new leaders to accept the temporary (and rapidly expiring) limitations the 2015 nuclear deal placed on its nuclear activities in exchange for a mass influx of cash through US sanctions relief. If Iran agrees to the deal, it will still pass the nuclear threshold in relatively short order. At the same time, if the US abrogates its economic sanctions, Iran will have the economic wherewithal to massively escalate its proxy wars against Israel and the Sunni Gulf States.

Second, the gestures the administration's made to its allies to demonstrate its credibility were cancelled out by its other actions. While protesting its commitment to blocking Iran's path to the bomb, the US failed to respond to Iranian aggression against its own forces in Syria and the Persian Gulf. And following in the footsteps of the Obama administration, last week a senior administration official told the New York Times that the US opposes all Israeli actions against Iran's nuclear installations. The message was clear. And everyone got it.

America's posture towards Russia and China is little different. Over the past several weeks, Russia has deployed nearly a hundred thousand troops along Ukraine's eastern border. Kiev is warning a Russian invasion could come as early as January. But it was only this week that the administration began discussing the possibility of sending defensive weapons and military advisors to Ukraine. So too, the EU and the US are only beginning discussions on the possibility of imposing economic sanctions on Russia. And they will only be imposed – if they are imposed at all -- after Russia invades Ukraine.

The situation is even more dire in relation to China. Last week Biden held a much-awaited online summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. It was held at a time of heightened tensions between the two superpowers exacerbated by China's escalating threats against Taiwan.

As retired US Marine Col. Grant Newsham from the Center for Security Policy in Washington DC explained to Newsweek, "American credibility will be destroyed in the Asia-Pacific and globally as well," if the US fails to defend Taiwan.

Given the stakes for the US itself, Biden might have been expected to warn Xi that the US will not stand idly by if Beijing continues threatening Taiwan. But apparently this didn't happen.

Chinese media reported that Biden and Xi are on the same page in relation to Taiwan. Biden's supine posture on Taiwan was not the only area he displayed weakness. He failed to call China out for its refusal to cooperate with international investigations into the origins of COVID-19. He also didn't mention China's rapid nuclear buildup or its aggressive actions in space.

Biden did speak at length about climate change, though.

Together with its allies, the US is still the most powerful nation on earth. It can still defeat, or at a minimum, massively harm all of its enemies. But whether it is dealing with Iran or China, Russia or Afghanistan or beyond, America's strategic credibility is in tatters. Neither its allies nor its enemies take its commitments or its threats seriously. Consequently, as it lags behind its adversaries in space weapons, the US projects a weakness of intent that invites aggression against itself, against its interests and against its allies.

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Flagship observation satellites made by Israel Aerospace Industries have in recent days been on display at a key space-related conference held in Dubai – a development made possible by the 2020 Abraham Accords.

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The International Astronautical Congress, which was held Oct. 25 to 29 in the United Arab Emirates, saw IAI present its OptSat3000 high-resolution satellite and the Tecsar radar observation satellite. The latter is able to use radar waves to collect intelligence during day or night in all weather conditions.

In September 2020, Israel launched the IAI-made Ofek 16 spy satellite, carrying a higher than ever resolution camera in space. Six years earlier, Israel launched its Ofek 10 radar spy satellite.

IAI led Israel's space exhibit at the Astronautical Congress, which took place this year after being canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Estie Rosen, IAI's head of media relations, told JNS that the company also exhibited a new mini-communication satellite concept and a cloud computing-based ground station for processing information from satellites.

The cloud-based ground station unveiled by IAI recently is designed to "enable maximum availability of satellite information," she said.

The company also showcased "Beresheet," the lunar lander that nearly brought Israel to the moon in 2019 before crashing into its surface at the last moment.

"The International Astronautical Congress is the most significant global space event," said Rosen. "It is held in a different location every year, and Israel has hosted it as well [in 2015]."

Rosen added that "due to the Abraham Accords, we can take part as IAI and bring Israeli personnel to this event. This is a moving development."

She noted that Israel launched Ofek 16 into space during the peak of the pandemic, achieving a successful launch of the advanced camera-carrying satellite. "It entered orbit quickly, and is used operationally by security forces, providing high-quality images," she stated.

Israel's Military Intelligence Directorate has control of the satellite. Rosen described IAI satellites as being at "the technological forefront in terms of the resolution they provide to the table of security forces."

In January 2020, IAI announced that it signed an agreement with the Israeli government for the development and construction of Israel's next communications satellite, Dror 1. The satellite will enable Israel to retain independent capabilities in the critical domain of space-based communications. Communications satellites orbit the Earth at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers.

'A smartphone in space'

Rosen said some countries don't need huge expensive communication satellites, adding that IAI has identified a niche market for lighter satellites, which are cheaper to launch and carry fewer beam antennas, while still retaining "elite, more affordable technology."

Communications satellites need to be highly agile, effectively acting as "a smartphone in space that can load applications from the ground to the satellite and conduct changes of missions," said Rosen, describing the company's design functions.

The company is also developing nanosatellites.

Indeed, she emphasized, it has invested hefty funds in satellite research and development.

In a statement, IAI said that "the field of space is a global growth engine that crosses technological, educational, business and political borders." It added that the Dubai space conference provided "IAI with the opportunity to build new relationships with local companies in the UAE and in the Gulf countries, and to develop new ventures with partners in the local defense industry, government agencies and academic institutions."

In October, the Israeli Space Agency and the UAE declared that they would cooperate on building the "Beresheet 2" lunar lander, scheduled for launch in 2024.

IAI held its first exhibit in Dubai at CyberTech in 2020. It will present at the Dubai Airshow this month, from Nov. 14. to Nov. 18.

"The UAE is a country with advanced space capabilities that are wide and scope. We can find common issues," said Rosen. "Space is important for both countries.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Israel Aerospace Industries will lead the Israeli Space Exhibit at the 72nd International Astronautical Congress to be held in Dubai from Oct. 25 to Oct. 29.

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In a statement on Monday, IAI said that as the only Israeli pavilion to present, it will exhibit "a range of cutting-edge space solutions," including two types of spy satellites; a new mini-communications satellite concept; and "Beresheet," Israel's lunar lander.

"The field of space is a global growth engine that crosses technological, educational, business and political borders," said the company. "IAI is leading Israel's space industry from development and manufacturing to launching satellites and launchers, to ground stations for satellite control and operation, among other complementary services."

The event, it continued, provides IAI with "the opportunity to build new relationships with local companies in the United Arab Emirates and in Gulf countries, and to develop new ventures with partners in the local defense industry, government agencies and academic institutions."

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Following the Abraham Accords, IAI has entered business ventures in the UAE and other Gulf states, creating partnerships to promote the transfer of knowledge, advancement of investments, and development and commercialization of joint defense and civilian technologies.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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The "Adelis-SAMSON" project, an autonomous group of three nanosatellites built and developed by the Technion – Israel institute of Technology, will be launched into orbit on March 20, 2021, the Technion announced Thursday.

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This is a passion project from a research team led by Professor Pini Gurfil of the Asher Space Research Institute (ASRI) and the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, with support from the Adelis Foundation, the Goldstein Foundation, and the Israel Space Agency in the Ministry of Science and Technology.

The satellites will piggyback on a Glavkosmos Soyuz rocket from a site in Kazakhstan, and once in orbit, will be used to calculate locations of people, planes, and ships. The cluster of satellites will fly in formation in space by utilizing autonomous communication and control, without needing guidance from the ground.

The Adelis-SAMSON formation includes three miniature satellites (CubeSats), each weighing about 8 kg (17.5 lbs). Each CubeSat includes sensors, antennae, computer systems, control systems, navigation devices, and a unique and innovative propulsion system. The satellites will travel at an altitude of 550 km (341 miles) above ground and will detect signals from Earth using a mission receiver developed by IAI. The CubeSats will then transmit these signals to a mission control center located at Technion's Asher Space Research Institute.

"Basic research over the course of many years, combined with advanced Israeli technology, allows Israel to take an important step forward in the field of nanosatellites," Gurfil explained.

"You could compare the innovation of nanosatellites to switching from the personal computer to the cellphone. The Adelis-Samson project demonstrates a new concept in nanosatellite design and will enable many operations to be carried out that have been reserved until now for large and expensive satellites," he continued.

"This is a leap in the field of miniature satellites, in the capabilities of the Technion, and for the entire State of Israel, and one which will make the Technion a global pioneer in the fields of geolocation and satellite communication, with diverse applications including search and rescue, remote sensing, and environmental monitoring."

Technion President Professor Uri Sivan said that "the Adelis-SAMSON project is a wonderful and exciting example of the successful integration of science and technology and the transformation of innovative ideas into effective systems that contribute to humanity. Scientific and technological breakthroughs require multidisciplinary research and close collaboration between academia and industry, and this is what has led the project to this important day."

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"The current project continues a Technion tradition that began in 1998 with the successful launch of the Gurwin-TechSat II," Sivan added.

"That satellite has been operating in space for more than 11 years, a record time for academic activity in space. The launch of Adelis-SAMSON is a dramatic moment that we have been waiting nine years for and will follow closely. I sincerely thank our partners at the Adelis Foundation, the Goldstein Foundation, the Israel Space Agency, and Israel Aerospace Industries for helping us make this project a reality," he said.

ADELIS Foundation trustee Rebecca Boukhris said, "For many years, space and space technology have been considered the domain of superpowers; and too grand, expensive and complex for small countries. Israel has demonstrated that this is not the case, and it is vital that Israel is a member of the elite international space community. The rapid development of the space industry in Israel is essential. This project is unique for the ADELIS Foundation in that it symbolizes the spirit, genius, and strength of Israel. In effect, it highlights the technological and scientific brilliance of Israel and positions our country on the world map in the field of aerospace, and all this on a modest budget within the university setting of Technion. The Adelis Foundation considers itself as sowing the seeds of the future and hopes that this project will be the first of many more. We hope that many other small and brilliant projects will take the ADELIS-SAMSON mission as an example and develop a new ingenious space mission for the benefit of the State of Israel."

The launch can be watched live at this link.

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Washington warned Tehran this month against undertaking three planned rocket launches that it said would violate a U.N. Security Council resolution because they use ballistic missile technology.

The United States is concerned that the long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into orbit can also be used to launch warheads.

Iran has said its space vehicle launches and missile tests were not violations and would continue.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke out about the failed launch at a ceremony to inaugurate the new IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi in Jerusalem on Tuesday.

"Iran is lying when it says it now wants to launch a satellite into space. In practice, it is trying to launch an intercontinental missile," Netanyahu said.

Under the U.N. Security Council resolution that enshrined Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers - which Washington pulled out of last spring - the country is "called upon" to refrain from work on ballistic missiles designed to deliver nuclear weapons for up to eight years.

Azari-Jahromi said that the satellite, named Payam, failed in the third stage of the launch because it "did not reach adequate speed," according to a report on the ministry's website.

The satellite was intended to be used for imaging and communications purposes and was mounted with four cameras, according to the report.

The satellite was planned to stay at an altitude of 500 km for approximately three years.

Another satellite named Doosti is waiting to be launched, Azari-Jahromi wrote in a Twitter post.

"We should not come up short or stop," Azari-Jahromi tweeted after announcing the failed launch. "It's exactly in these circumstances that we Iranians are different than other people in spirit and bravery."

On Monday, information and technology company ImageSat International published satellite images of Iran preparing for the launch of two satellites to space through the use of ballistic missiles, despite warning from the U.S. against moving forward with the launch. The satellite images also showed trucks at the site and one truck, already carrying the missile, adjacent to the launch pad. It was also revealed that a portable rocket launcher was installed at the site.

Iran launched its first domestically built satellite, the OMID ("Hope") research and telecommunications satellite in 2009, on the 30th anniversary of the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

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