Japan's space agency, JAXA, successfully launched the Kounotori 6 spacecraft to the ISS in late January. Part of the mission was supposed to include a test of the Kounotori Integrated Tether Experiment (KITE). KITE is a tool designed to combat space junk by interfering with an item's orbit and forcing it to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere.
The entire system is dependent on a 700 meter cable, which failed to deploy when the test was supposed to begin. Repair attempts were also unsuccessful and the Kounotori 6 spacecraft has since fallen out of orbit without a successful deployment.
It's unknown why the cable didn't deploy.
We could not extend the cable, but we think it is not because of the cable itself, but some other reasons. A detailed analysis is underway.- JAXA
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