The researchers found that using five robots allowed them to complete the task, even if one of the robots failed.The project will help the students create automated navigation so satellites can dock up without bumping into each other in space, sending the objects tumbling.

Once a satellite is launched, it’s impossible to repair or refuel it in low-Earth orbit. This leads to a number of useless satellites drifting through LEO. A human mission to repair every broken satellite would be too costly to be effective. But with more and more satellites being launched, fixing a few of them would be an effective way to reduce the number orbiting Earth.

The Kessler syndrome

As humans keep putting satellites into space, the risk of these human-made objects colliding into each other grows with every launch. The preexisting debris and naturally occurring micrometeoroids surrounding Earth are already a concern. But when these objects collide with each other, they create even more debris. The potential runaway debris problem, dubbed the Kessler effect or Kessler syndrome, has become a growing concern as more and more satellites are sent into space.