The European Space Agency, as a part of its Clean Space initiative, is looking for new ways to make all future planetary probes and satellites completely recyclable. The initiative hopes to enable future planetary probes and satellites to become valuable sources of fuel, water, or other raw materials
No matter how painstakingly we choose the materials to build satellites, once a mission is over they are just so much junk. But what if one day they could be recycled in space for future missions – perhaps as construction material, fuel or even food?