According to the U.S. Space Surveillance Network there are over 100 billion bits of man-made junk floating around earth.

The estimated weight of the space junk is about 5,500 tons and that number is growing! Whether you realize it or not that is a massive amount of clutter out there in space and even though its beyond the eyes reach it is still very dangerous.

What’s the Solution?

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is working with a fishing equipment company to create net that can grab debris in space like you’d catch a trout.

It will reportedly create a magnetic field to attract junk orbiting the Earth. Tests for the project will begin in late February, starting with a rocket and satellite launch.

The South China Morning Post reports the satellite was created to “…unreel a wire net some 300 meters long that will then generate a magnetic field and – theoretically-attract some of the debris that is circulating beyond out atmosphere”.

In theory the space junk snatching net sounds great and we hope it works just as well in practice too!