How should we deal with space junk? Space recycling, of course!

Channel 3000 News/CNN ^ | December 8, 2025 | CNN Bitter LOSERS

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

I’ve long advocated for “Big Balls of Goo”, large polymer targets that would catch junk like 3D flypaper. Guided by a small satellite, even fast and hot junk would just be absorbed. When ‘full’, it would reenter the atmosphere and burn up.

[T. Rustin Noone]

How about a Space Roomba?

[Track9]

Probably not a lot.

[shotgun]

Elon needs to develop small space drones that can gather debris and take it back to canisters on a larger mothership. As the canisters get full, they are ejected back to earth and burn up on re-entry.

[Charles Martel]

Ah, yes... the "United Galaxy Sanitation Patrol". I loved the trashbag logo on their jumpsuits.

Hey, it was an excuse to watch the Barnstable twins.

[reed13k]

I actually came up with a sweeper concept where a large box container with one end open and reinforced walls go around scooping up space junk, compacting it, and then directing it either to the moon or out of orbit back to earth as a compacted mass. Could be any size, though large enough for an average satellite I think would be best.

[real saxophonist]

I was going to say the same thing.

[citizen]

Front ‘n center: Blondes in hot pants with guns! What’s not to like?

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

I doubt vacuums work well in a vacuum.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

The University of Arizona (UA) is heavily involved in space junk research, primarily through its Space4 Center.

[scrabblehack]

Ben Bova short story...USA and USSR go to the moon; war breaks out. The bullets stay in orbit around the moon. They have to keep ducking on every orbit.

[T. Rustin Noone]

lol

great answer )))

[clearcarbon]

"How should we deal with space junk? Space recycling, of course!