Fishing for Space Junk: New Nets Capture Old Satellites

The European Space Agency has gone fishin' — for space junk. Scientists hoping to remove old hardware from orbit around Earth have gone on a "fishing" trip unlike any other: Instead of lining riverbanks with fishing poles in hand, the scientists are free-falling through the air, shooting nets at a miniature model satellite. You can watch a video of the space fishing attempt here on Space.com. The trip took place aboard an airplane that flies in a parabolic shape, causing passengers to experience brief periods of weightlessness. The flight was meant to test the ability of a net (not unlike a traditional fishing net) to capture and remove dead satellites, rocket parts and other man-made debris floating in space. More

(Source: Space.com - Apr 11)