Space junk is a growing concern among space agencies all around the globe. Countless pieces of space junk surround the Earth in low-Earth orbit, and when they collide, they break apart into even smaller bits and multiply.
The European Space Agency is attempting a solution to the space junk problem by way of its RemoveDEBRIS spacecraft, which will test various methods of removing space junk from low-Earth orbit.
Thus far, RemoveDEBRIS has proven the effectiveness of the net-centric space junk capture method, but future tests may validate the use of stringed harpoons for more massive space junk.
With as much space junk as there is around the Earth today, cleaning it up is critical. All it takes is one unfortunate space junk collision to set off a chain reaction that could render space travel unsafe forever; that said, the time to do something about it is now.