International team will form to deal with space junk
JUN 26, 2012
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.026127
Space.com : As satellites age and items are jettisoned from spacecraft, space debris has become an ever-growing international problem. As of 2009, some 19 000 manmade objects at least 10 cm in size orbit Earth, not to mention countless smaller objects. They pose a collision risk to the International Space Station and other spacecraft and satellites. Although several agencies and private companies have submitted proposals for dealing with space junk, legal and political questions have been raised. This summer experts are scheduled to gather for the first multilateral meeting to discuss the creation of an international set of rules for dealing with the mess.
© 2012 American Institute of Physics
