The growing constellation of satellites and anti-satellite weapons add a new concern for getting rid of space junk .
A few days ago, US officials announced that they had detected a dangerous field of orbiting debris . It was later learned that Russia launched an anti-satellite test that destroyed one of its oldest satellites.
This Russian test generated several pieces of different sizes that can potentially damage other satellites, as well as the International Space Station , where the astronauts had to take refuge after the threat of collision with the debris.
The situation may have escalated as a chilling scene from the movie Gravity , which is a clear example of what can happen with space debris , even the debris generated by the Russian anti-satellite weapon is likely to remain in orbit for decades.
Space pollution
In order to address the space debris problem, the US Space Force’s tech arm , known as SpaceWERX , will begin convening the private sector to develop proposals to remove space debris through a program called Orbital Prime .
SpaceWERX will award dozens of contracts worth $ 250,000 each to companies that have the ability to control orbiting debris , as well as perform other activities such as refueling and repairing spacecraft orbiting the Earth.