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Many concepts are now being developed to grab hold of dead satellites in orbitContinue reading the main story Related Stories Space collisions expected to rise Design to 'harpoon satellites' Sharp eye sees crippled EnvisatThere is now so much debris in orbit that the space environment is close to a cascade of collisions that would make space extremely hazardous, a major international meeting has concluded.Its summary position stated there was an "urgent need" to start pulling redundant objects out of the sky.Scientists estimate there are nearly 30,000 items circling the Earth larger than 10cm in size.Some are whole satellites and rocket bodies, but many are just fragments.These have resulted from explosions in fuel tanks and batteries, and from the high-velocity impacts between objects.Upwards of 10cm is trackable with radar, but there are tens of thousands more pieces that are smaller and move unseen.Continue reading the main story “Start Quote Only active removal of five to 10 large objects per year can reverse the debris growth”Prof Heiner Klinkrad Esa Space Debris OfficeAnd it is the prospect of an increase in the frequency of catastrophic collisions among all this material that now worries the experts
From the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22299403More at link.At the risk of sounding like a foam at the mouth Gaian - In 60 years we have so badly polluted low Earth orbit that it needs cleaning?