A Crash Course in Space Debris: The Daring DRACO Mission

The European Space Agency (ESA) is about to embark on a groundbreaking mission to study the destructive reentry of a satellite into Earth's atmosphere. Meet the Destructive Reentry Assessment Container Object (DRACO), a 440-pound spacecraft designed to crash and burn, gathering valuable data as it goes. This mission is crucial for understanding how to reduce the amount of space junk orbiting our planet. DRACO's sole purpose is to collect data on its own destruction. It will begin its descent just after launch, capturing the intense heat and friction caused by its reentry into the atmosphere. The spacecraft itself is quite simple, with no propulsion system or communication tools. Instead, it's equipped with a sturdy capsule that will survive the reentry and transmit the collected data to a geostationary satellite.Holger Krag, ESA's head of space safety, emphasizes the importance of reentry science in designing satellites that can safely disintegrate in the atmosphere. "We need to gain more insight into what happens when satellites burn up in the atmosphere as well as validate our re-entry models," he explains. To achieve this goal, ESA built a satellite with an indestructible pod to collect data during the reentry process. The pod is equipped with sensors and cameras capable of withstanding the extreme forces of reentry. Once the satellite reaches its maximum altitude of 621 miles, it will begin its descent, recording its own destruction using onboard cameras and 200 sensors. The data collected during the 12-hour mission will provide valuable insights into the reentry process, helping ESA develop new technologies for building more demisable satellites by 2030. The mission's findings will also contribute to the development of safer, more sustainable space exploration practices.