Companies are trying to capitalize on the threat of space junk with new technology to clean it up, but it’s not clear who will pay for the service. From a report: Today, thousands of pieces of space junk — ranging from tiny fragments of destroyed satellites to spent rocket bodies and defunct spacecraft — orbit around Earth, threatening operational satellites and astronauts. As thousands of new satellites are slated for launch in the coming years, operators are desperate to find ways to track, remove and prevent the creation of more rogue debris in orbit. The market for in-orbit satellite services is projected to reach about $4.5 billion by 2028, according to Northern Sky Research. […] Experts agree space junk is a major threat to keeping space usable and open for nations and companies around the world, but it’s not clear who is or should be responsible for cleaning it up, complicating the business case for these companies.
of this story at Slashdot.
Source:: Slashdot