Jan Herzig

At LASAR, we develop high-performance ground-based lasers to deorbit space debris. The principle involves directing a laser beam at the surface of small satellites or fragments, inducing ablation that generates a reactionary force. This gentle pressure reduces the object’s speed, causing it to gradually descend toward Earth, where it eventually burns up due to atmospheric friction. This technology significantly enhances orbital safety by reducing uncontrolled space debris, preventing collisions, and mitigating the onset of Kessler Syndrome. At the end of 2024, we launched our own satellite named LASARsat. It is a 1U CubeSat placed in Earth's orbit at an altitude of 550 km by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. It became the 14th Czech satellite and one of the few student-built satellites in the world. The satellite is equipped with sensors and experiments to test assumptions of laser applications for orbital traffic management, particularly in addressing the problem of space debris.