UK-led space junk mission sent into orbit

A UK-led experiment to tackle space junk has been sent into orbit. It takes the form of a small satellite that will practise techniques for tracking debris and capturing it. The RemoveDebris system is heading to the International Space Station where astronauts are expected to set the experiment running in late May. Space junk is an ever-growing problem with more than 7,500 tonnes of redundant hardware now thought to be circling the Earth. Ranging from old rocket bodies and defunct spacecraft through to screws and even flecks of paint - this material poses a collision hazard to operational missions.