The UK plans to send giant robotic claws into orbit to grab two dead satellites; 2029 mission

The satellite debris in space poses an immense problem in Earth's orbit, which is increasingly crowded, especially with defunct satellites that continue to circle the planet. According to Smithsonian magazine, the United Kingdom is preparing a mission to declutter Earth's orbit. It is preparing to tackle part of the growing problem of satellites debris with an unusual spacecraft featuring giant robotic claws. The spacecraft is designed to capture two defunct satellites and bring them down into the atmosphere to incinerate them. This is a first-of-its-kind clean-up mission due to launch in 2029, and the public can help name it.Rob Atchison, Managing Director of ClearSpace UK in a statement dated 15th October 2026 shared, “Our next step is to design, build and test a spacecraft that can get close, safely, to an object never designed to be caught, and take control of it. We will do this with partners across the UK supply chain, working towards launch in 2029.” The mission, known as the UK Active Debris Removal (UK ADR) programme, is developed with the UK Space Agency and ClearSpace UK. The project will demonstrate how specially designed robotic equipment can remove objects from orbit ...