High-tech harpoons could save us from space junk
10/3/2012"Space junk" — old rockets and disused satellites cluttering up Earth’s orbit — threatens to smash into the satellites we actually use and depend on. How can we clean it? A giant space vacuum? Nah. A space mop or broom? No again. How about a "space harpoon"? Unlikely as it may sound, engineers are experimenting with, yes, harpoons that could be fired off to snag the junk and drag it into the atmosphere to burn up. But the harpoon would need to be calibrated just right, the BBC notes. Too much force and the junk could be blown to bits, creating an even bigger problem. Hmmm, maybe that space vacuum isn’t such a bad idea after all. [Source]
msnNOW.com is updated 24 hours a day. Click here to see the latest trending stories.
Can you think of a better way to clean up space junk?
Most Commented
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a … UFO? We want to believe
Awesome 9-year-old girl publicly grills McDonald's CEO about junk food
Wolf kisses woman on birthday and now her fate is sealed
Visit Madison, Wis., and maybe you'll meet Thong Cape Scooter Man
NFL team hopes huge rookie is as hard on foes as he is on furniture
