In the recent past, space trash has been a significant issue for space travel and has been the primary cause of spacecraft suffering significant damage. An estimated 9000 satellites have been sent into orbit to date, 5000 of which are no longer operational.
They are now stuck in orbit where they are posing a difficulty for the ones that are in operation. The Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, however, appears to have discovered a solution to the issue as they reported success in cleaning space debris.
Chinese researchers claimed to have successfully pushed a recently launched Long March 2 rocket out of orbit using a drag sail. They said that the kite-like structure was successful in fulfilling the task of clearing space debris since this was the first time they had used this technique.
Since the device is simple to develop and works on practically all types of satellites, it will be an affordable solution for space garbage. The material employed is lightweight and flexible, making it easy to store inside a spaceship for use later on during the journey into space.
China has come under fire from many nations for its handling of space debris after a chunk of one of its space rockets from 2014 landed on the moon earlier this year. The International Space Station experienced a similar occurrence, although it was able to avoid any collisions.
