What are the solutions to removing space debris?
In 2013, NASA began to concentrate on the mitigation instead of removal. They proposed Space Debris Elimination (SPADE), which would shoot out atmospheric gas at targets to make them reenter the atmosphere, which in return the gas would distribute itself in space, leaving behind no additional junk.Once the 'hunter' robot and the acquired garbage were to reenter the atmosphere, they would burn up or fall into the ocean where they are to be collected by receivers.
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The European Space Agency is working on a machine called, e-Deorbit, which uses a net or robot to capture large pieces of junk to drag them back into the atmosphere where both pieces would burn up. This is expected to take place in 2023.
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If we can't find a solution to the billions of tiny space junk, we would be essentially trapped on Earth, forcing us to cancel MARS missions and future missions until a solution is found to clean Earth's Orbit.
There are other ideas of how to clean up Space debris too! Such as a Solar sail method, using electricity, or even using various sling shot methods.