A company that aims to clean junk from space has secured up to $30 million (¥3.39 billion) in public-private funding and plans to launch the world's first debris-mapping satellite later this year.
Singapore-based Astroscale, which last year opened a development center in Tokyo, on Tuesday announced the backing of Innovation Network Corp. of Japan (INCJ), a public-private partnership aimed at promoting innovation, as well as a further $5 million from venture capital fund Jafco.
Entrepreneur Nobu Okada founded Astroscale in 2013 to tackle the problem of space debris, man-made scraps of junk that have turned the Earth's orbit into a deadly minefield.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.