Orbital Debris Experts Call for Space Junk Removal Missions

摘要

The world's space agencies will need to agree to finance missions to remove five to 10 satellites and rocket upper stages per year from low Earth orbit to avoid the potential shutdown of space exploration in the coming decades, an international gathering of space debris experts concluded. But even the agencies most cognizant of the dangers of space debris continue to launch satellites and rockets that will remain in Earth orbit after their missions end for far longer than the 25-year limit the agencies have promised to respect.