Over 99% of space debris is smaller than 1cm and completely invisible to existing technologies. ODIN Space is developing technology to map sub-centimetre space debris and minimise lethal collisions with satellites. ODIN Space will launch a network of its sensors, map this invisible debris, and use this data to protect satellites.

A net-zero future depends on data from satellites. Critical monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions, the spread of wildfires, biomass density, and the impact of human activity is all best performed from space. This vital component of the net-zero supply chain is threatened by the debris left behind by human space activity.

Space debris as small as a grain of sand carries the energy of a bullet due to the high speeds they travel at. Currently, satellites are being launched with no data on where the debris is or how exposed they are. This will inevitably lead to lost satellites, which run the risk of hitting other satellites and generating even more debris, similar to a chain reaction.

The space industry needs to operate sustainably and avoid collisions with debris. Unfortunately, the hundreds of millions of pieces of sub-centimetre debris in orbit are completely invisible to current technology. This is the problem that ODIN Space aims to address.

ODIN Space is developing their existing lab prototype so that it is spaceflight-ready and can withstand the harshness of space. This project will produce the first spaceflight-ready sensor ahead of a proposed launch into orbit during the first half of 2023\.