Time to Clear the New Frontier: Cleaning Up Space is Omega’s Next Mission - The Scene

This new partnership by the Swiss maker adds to its roster of sustainable initiatives.

Omega has joined forces with ClearSpace in support of their landmark mission to remove dangerous debris from space.

READ ALSO: New Classic: Omega Opens 2022 With A New Timepiece That Celebrates 65 Years Of The Speedmaster

The makers of the first watch worn on the moon are returning to space, only this time, on a vital clean-up mission. This continues a distinguished heritage for Omega that began more than five decades ago. In 1965, NASA qualified the Speedmaster for all manned space missions.

An artistic impression of the ClearSpace-1 mission show it capturing an obsolete and tumbling object in space / Photo by CLEARSPACE

In line with the brand’s pioneering spirit, Omega is collaborating with ClearSpace to perform the first ever capture and removal of an uncontrolled space satellite: stage one of a long-term project to create an affordable service for space debris removal.

ClearSpace SA develops technologies to capture and deorbit obsolete objects threatening space operations and provides in-orbit services to support institutions and commercial operators to accomplish their space sustainability. Two years ago, it signed a service contract with the European Space Agency worth 86 million euros for the first space debris removal mission in 2025. 

Today there are thousands of satellites orbiting Earth, a huge percentage of them “failed.” These uncontrollable objects present risks of explosions or collisions with other satellites. Humankind’s next big challenge is keeping space clean in order to ensure sustainable growth in the future—and Omega is thrilled and proud to be part of the solution.

Omega president and CEO Raynald Aeschlimann with Swiss astronaut and Swatch Group Board of Directors member Prof. Claude Nicollier and ClearSpace CEO Luc Piguet

“The logical next step for a brand with a proud history of both space exploration and Earth conservation,” says Omega president and CEO Raynald Aeschlimann, adding that ClearSpace’s initiative is “one of the most important, inspiring and exciting projects since the launch of the Apollo missions.”

It is not the first or only time Omega ventured beyond its brief as a watchmaker to inspire positive change. The watchmaker’s partnership with GoodPlanet Foundation and its founder Yann Arthus-Bertrand has led to numerous world-changing documentaries and joint conservation projects under the banner “Time for the Planet.”

Omega also supports Nekton, a not-for-profit research foundation committed to the protection of the world’s oceans.

ClearSpace first debris removal mission will be in 2025

As well as doing its part to help clean up land and sea, Omega plays a role in the mapping of the ocean floor, through its support for the 5 Deeps Expedition: Victor Vescovo’s record-breaking research missions to the deepest parts of the planet.

With its current partnerships and newly announced support for ClearSpace, the Swiss watchmaker asserts its commitment to creating a more sustainable future. It extends the reach of its influence from the bottom of the sea and the surface of the planet to the crowded corners of space.

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