The Startups on a Mission to Clean Up Space.

This article discusses the growing problem of space junk and the startups that are working to clean it up. There are currently over 100 million pieces of space debris in Earth's orbit, including defunct satellites and rocket parts. This poses a risk to both space operations and people on Earth, as demonstrated by a Florida homeowner whose house was damaged by a piece of space junk. The increasing number of satellites being launched into low Earth orbit has made the problem worse, increasing the likelihood of collisions and creating a need for solutions. Various startups are developing technologies such as robotic arms, drag sails, and lasers to remove space junk, but these solutions are expensive and require government funding. In the meantime, efforts to reduce the amount of junk being launched into space and to warn people of potential risks are also important. [Extracted from the article]