A new report says a growing space junk problem could endanger
satellites, the International Space Station, and other manned
spacecraft. International laws treat property in space
differently than property on Earth. These laws may hinder
efforts to curb space debris. For example, in the ocean, an
abandoned ship is considered fair game for anyone to take. In
space, however, whoever launched a satellite retains ownership
and responsibility for it. If the United States were to remove a
broken, potentially dangerous, satellite that was launched by
another nation, it could be breaking international law. Tackling
space debris is not just a scientific and technical challenge
but very thorny politically as well. NASA will respond to the
research council's report, so it will be interesting to see if
that results in any new initiatives regarding space debris. Over
the long term, I'll watch for interesting, feasible ideas for
technologies that might be able to reduce the amount of junk in
Earth's orbit. “We have passed t