Armed and advantageous (Image: NASA)
As the cloud of orbiting junk shrouding the Earth grows ever denser, the most sophisticated garbage collectors of all time are taking shape
IN SEPTEMBER 2009 a giant robotic arm beneath the International Space Station plucked an uncrewed Japanese cargo ship from the void of space. It was the first time this spectacular capture mechanism had been tried, but this robotic grab was no one-off. On 27 January this year, the Japanese space agency, JAXA, was involved again with HTV2, its second cargo craft (pictured). The feats show that “robotic capture” can be a reliable…
