EU should take lead on cleaning up environment – in space

In February 2009, a Russian military satellite travelling at more than 42,000km per hour smashed into a US communications satellite.

Both satellites were instantly destroyed, shattering into tens of thousands of fragments. It was the first-ever in-orbit collision between two satellites. However, it is an event that could become increasingly common as humanity exponentially increases our activities in space.

In 2009, there were less than 1,000 active satellites in orbit. By 2030, ...