Earth’s space debris crisis could be solved using ‘never been done’ magnet technology

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Scientists have found a way to use spinning magnets to move space debris, possibly offering a way to clear up the detritus around our planet or remotely repair malfunctioning craft. There are currently over 27,000 pieces of space debris larger than a baseball orbiting Earth, reaching speeds of up to 17,500 mph, but legal loopholes mean governments are loath to clear it up. “But if it’s spinning out of control, you could break the robot arm doing that, which would just create more debris.” In practise, the spinning magnets could be attached to a robotic arm, a stationary magnet that creates spinning magnetic fields, or a spinning electromagnet like those in MRI machines. “If just one piece of debris from such a test collides with a satellite and causes a major fragmentation event, this could lead to additional events affecting all States, which could include further fragmentations, satellite failures, or service disruptions”, the letter stated.