It may not be battling aliens, but the US Space Force still wants help combating a major enemy: space junk.
Space junk has become a growing problem over the last few decades. According to Space Force, the newest branch of the US military is tracking some 40,000 objects in orbit around Earth, only 5,000 of which are active satellites. Those 40,000 objects are fist-sized or larger, but it’s estimated there are at least 10 times as many smaller objects. All of these objects pose a major risk to space operations.
Space Force’s new endeavor, Orbital Prime, is designed to address this problem, according to General David D. Thompson, Vice Chief of Space Operations.
“Our goal through Orbital Prime is to partner with innovative minds in industry, academia, and research institutions, to advance and apply state of the art technology and operating concepts in the areas of debris mitigation and removal,” said General Thompson.
Those interested in participating in Orbital Prime can register here to learn more.