Space clean-up efforts intensify
A wide range of experimental technologies and regulations aimed at tackling the increasing threat posed to critical satellites by thousands of pieces of debris orbiting the Earth are taking shape.
An estimated 160 million objects over 1mm, the products of around 250 collisions between space platforms and residual parts of space craft discarded during launch, now orbit the Earth travelling at speeds of up to 17,000 km/h.
Efforts are underway to mature technology that could remove some of the millions of pieces of debris that risk causing serious damage to critical national defence space sensors and measures are being taken
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