Chinese scientists try to reduce space junk by using drag sail on rocket

It has been unfurled on a recently launched Long March 2 and may help it to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere within two years

Over a billion pieces of debris are estimated to be floating around the Earth – two-thirds of them in low-Earth orbits, according to a paper

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The rocket was launched on June 23 and carried three remote sensing satellites into low-Earth orbit. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 7:00am, 6 Jul 2022

Chinese scientists have successfully unfurled a drag sail to deorbit one of its recently launched Long March 2 rockets in a bid to reduce space junk – the first time this was done with a rocket.

The drag sail is 25 sq metres (269 sq feet) when fully unfurled and extremely thin – just one-tenth the diameter of a human hair, according to the official Science and Technology Daily.

This kite-like membrane was designed to increase atmospheric drag and accelerate the orbital decay of the 300kg (661 pounds) rocket’s final stage. The rocket was used to send remote sensing satellites into orbit last month and has since become space junk.

The device was designed to increase atmospheric drag and accelerate the orbital decay of the rocket’s final stage. Photo: Weibo

The drag sail is the largest one China has developed and is part of the country’s efforts to address the problem of space being increasingly crowded, the report said.

Over a billion pieces of junk are estimated to be floating around the Earth – two-thirds of them in low-Earth orbits where most spacecraft operate, according to a paper published in the journal Space Debris in September.

Small satellite constellations such as SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon’s Kuiper projects have deepened concerns over a looming space debris crisis, the paper said.

China was criticised last year for letting rocket boosters fall back to Earth in an uncontrolled manner.

Chinese scientists try to reduce space junk by using drag sail on rocket

It has been unfurled on a recently launched Long March 2 and may help it to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere within two years Over a billion pieces of debris are estimated to be floating around the Earth – two-thirds of them in low-Earth orbits, according to a paper

It has been unfurled on a recently launched Long March 2 and may help it to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere within two years

Over a billion pieces of debris are estimated to be floating around the Earth – two-thirds of them in low-Earth orbits, according to a paper