ESA commissions world’s first space debris removal (esa.int)

• Groundbreaking mission to clear space junk
• Service-based procurement model for commercial scaling
• Strategic focus on long-term orbital sustainability

"The European Space Agency has initiated the ClearSpace-1 mission, the world's first active orbital debris removal operation. Procured as a service contract, the project is led by a commercial consortium to catalyze a new market for in-orbit servicing and satellite sustainability. The mission aims to remove defunct hardware from low Earth orbit, setting a precedent for future debris mitigation efforts."