Who cleans the space?

We can see for ourselves, in every space that we humans live, how much rubbish we generate and how much trash we leave behind. Some can be cleaned and recycled while many cannot.

Not satisfied with the trash can we have made Mother Earth into, even the outer space is today reeling under mankind’s trash. As we make more and more technological advancements, the satellites are crowding the space. We began sending satellites into the space from late 1950s and since then the trash has piled up. As per a rough estimate, some 170 million pieces of  debris is travelling around the earth at breakneck speed.

And right now, China’s first space lab, which stopped working in 2016 is expected to come crashing to earth in coming months. Reminds one of Skylab, isn’t it? 

So how do the scientists hope to resolve this problem of man-made objects remaining in space way beyond their useful life, orbiting our planet endlessly? In fact millions of money is being spent to come up with a solution but nothing has really taken off yet. Apart from tracking the debris, experiments have just begun on how specially built nets, harpoons, magnets or even lasers can be used to “catch” the flying debris.

Well, for beginners, as a bystander, the only advice which one can give is that it would be better to plan disposal before launching a satellite. Maybe something which ensures that when it completes its task, it descends on its own? Our ISRO can probably take a lead and show the world?