US issues first-ever fine for space junk

US authorities have issued the first-ever fine for space debris to a TV company that failed to properly dispose of a satellite. The company was fined €142,440 for "failing to properly deorbit" a satellite named EchoStar-7.

Carbon dioxide is shrinking uppermost atmosphere

Starting around 60 km up, in the outermost layers of atmosphere carbon dioxide actually cools the atmosphere, causing it to shrink and contract. A cooling and shrinking MLT will lead to an increase in the longevity of space debris at higher altitudes

Space Debris Has Hit The International Space Station

A piece of space debris has hit and damaged part of the International Space Station - namely, the Canadarm2 robotic arm. It's a reminder that the low-Earth orbit's space junk problem is a ticking time bomb.

Satellites Would be Able to De-Orbit Themselves at the end of Their Life

There are at least 34,000 pieces of large debris in Low Earth Orbit. Now spanish scientists has come up with a simple but elegant idea: equip future satellites with a tether system so they can de-orbit themselves at the end of their lives.

Scientists fire harpoon on mission to eradicate space junk

A spacecraft has successfully fired a harpoon into a target orbiting Earth in an operation that could help clean-up the tonnes of space junk threatening telecommunications satellites.

Some of our best hopes for mitigating the threat of space debris

In 60 years of space exploration, we've placed almost 7,000 satellites in orbit. Less than a third still function. The rest is dangerous junk - and their number is growing. Here's how we might mitigate the threat.

Avoiding space junk with the Falcon Telescope Network

The Falcon Telescope Network is spreading across the globe. The telescopes will be able to identify any space debris in orbit around Earth that is larger than 10cm by picking up any sunlight that the space trash reflects.

Falcon 9 Launched a Space Junk Sweeper Into Orbit

A Monday SpaceX launch also carried an unconventional cargo: an experimental system known as RemoveDEBRIS, which scientists hope will help clean up Earth’s space junk-littered upper atmosphere.

This Ultrathin Craft Could Soon Envelop and Destroy Space Junk

At least 500,000 pieces of space debris threaten satellites and astronauts, but an US -based company says it has a new approach for taking out the garbage.

Engineers design a robotic gripper for cleaning up space debris

Researchers combined gecko-inspired adhesives and a custom robotic gripper to create a device for grabbing space debris.

Estonia’s mission to the moon could revolutionize space travel

ESTCube-2 is planned to blast off in 2019. The main objective for ESTCube-2 is to test a “plasma brake”. This is a new method of deorbiting satellites, which could help mitigate the problem of space debris.

Japanese 'space junk' ship heads to the ISS

Scientists from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency have come up with an experimental ship that pulls outer space debris out of orbit.

Recycling Space Junk for Missions to Mars

The growing space debris problem may have a flip side: What if we could recycle the junk for components of a mission to the Red Planet?

Casting a net for space debris

What can a Japanese fishing net manufacturer do with all that space junk? The answer is obvious.