ESA To Launch DRACO Satellite in 2027 to Study Satellite Reentry Disintegration 202y6p Technology News

ESA's DRACO satellite, launching in 2027, will study satellite disintegration during atmospheric reentry. 4o2c35

Written by Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 29 September 2024 12:00 IST

ESA To Launch DRACO Satellite in 2027 to Study Satellite Reentry Disintegration

Photo Credit: ESA/D. Ducros z5w39

Artist's impression of Europe's planned DRACO satellite breaking up in Earth's atmosphere

Highlights

ESA’s DRACO satellite to study satellite reentry in 2027
Mission aims to advance zero-debris satellite technology
DRACO will collect data during its reentry into Earth's atmosphere

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The European Space Agency (ESA) is preparing to launch a unique satellite in 2027, designed specifically to study how satellites break apart upon reentry into Earth's atmosphere. This mission, named DRACO (Destructive Reentry Assessment Container Object), will be an important step in ESA's effort to develop technology that limits the creation of space debris. ESA has awarded the contract to Deimos, a European technology company, to build this spacecraft, which will provide invaluable data as it breaks apart during its reentry. This data will help scientists better understand satellite disintegration and its environmental impact.

Understanding Satellite Breakup 3g2g45

The goal of the DRACO mission is to collect data on how satellites disintegrate during reentry. By studying this, researchers aim to design future satellites that will fully burn up during reentry, reducing the risk of debris reaching the Earth's surface. The mission will also examine how spacecraft reentry affects the atmosphere, including how different materials interact with it and what byproducts are produced.

Innovative DRACO Design 3l7262

At 200 kilograms, DRACO will be about the size of a washing machine. Its design will allow it to break apart like a normal satellite, but a specially engineered capsule will survive reentry. This capsule, measuring 40 centimetres, will carry four cameras and 200 sensors to record crucial data during the breakup. After reentry, it will deploy a parachute and transmit the collected information before being lost at sea.

A Snowman-Shaped Asteroid Tumbles Past Earth at Incredible Speed

Advancing Zero Debris Technology 5a5f3m

According to Holger Krag, ESA's Head of Space Safety, the DRACO mission will play a key role in developing future satellite technology. The data it collects will be used to build more demisable satellites by 2030, aligning with ESA's Zero Debris charter, which aims to stop the creation of space debris within this decade.

Tim Flohrer, head of ESA's space debris office, also emphasised the mission's importance in helping to advance zero-debris technologies, particularly as the number of satellite launches continues to increase worldwide.

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