Europe advances space debris removal and reusable transport

The European space sector is advancing both in debris mitigation and reusable transport technologies. The European Space Agency (ESA) has scheduled the ClearSpace-1 mission for 2029. This mission aims to demonstrate the ability to capture and remove non-cooperative space debris from Earth's orbit to promote space sustainability. Following the detection of new fragments near the original target, the mission was redesigned, with PROBA-1 now serving as the new target.

Simultaneously, The Exploration Company is developing Nyx, a reusable capsule designed to reach, dock with, and return from the International Space Station. To accelerate this development and the creation of the Storm high-thrust reusable engine, the company has announced a $450 million Series C funding round, marking one of the largest of its kind for a European space firm. The project emphasizes international collaboration to strengthen Europe's autonomous access to space.