Donate

space junk

Now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational space junk removal system. Just maybe not this exact one.

Astronauts could soon be blasting space junk with lasers

Science

A recent proposal by Japanese researchers would equip the International Space Station with a laser beam that could blast pieces of orbiting debris away. The reason? Hundreds of thousands of pieces of space junk are circling the Earth at more than 17,000 miles per hour, posing a danger to the ISS and other space projects.

Tell us about your experience accessing The World

We want to hear your feedback so we can keep improving our website, theworld.org. Please fill out this quick survey and let us know your thoughts (your answers will be anonymous). Thanks for your time!

We respect your time, attention and privacy

This is a news website, not a click casino. We do NOT employ deceptive behaviors, display annoying ads or use third party cookies and trackers to monetize your visit or help advertisers track you across the internet.

Simply, we ask that you would consider a donation to support the journalism we produce every weekday. Thank you.

This is The World

The World is a public radio program and podcast that crosses borders and time zones to bring home the stories that matter.

Follow The World

Subscribe to The World’s Latest Edition podcast for free using your favorite podcast player: