Joint ESA/TU Darmstadt open Lecture Series on Darmstadt Space Topics

As space activities continue to expand, the growing accumulation of debris in Earth’s orbit poses a significant risk to both current and future missions. In this lecture, Dr.-Ing. Christian Steimle, Project Manager of the ClearSpace-1 mission at the European Space Agency (ESA), will present the need for active debris removal (ADR) and examine the associated technological and operational challenges. Highlighting the ClearSpace-1 project—ESA’s pioneering effort to capture and deorbit defunct space objects—he will explore innovative solutions for removing debris and discuss how ADR represents a critical step toward ensuring the long-term sustainability of space operations.