--- description: The latest SpaceX rocket launch carried RemoveDEBRIS, a new system scientists hope will help clean up Earth's space junk-littered orbit title: Falcon 9 Launched a Space Junk Sweeper Into Orbit image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte33f0b52b9944fbb/69892ca2656a3f22cebd40bc/gettyimages-474381690.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Science](/section/science/) ## Science Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Space](/tag/space/) ## Space Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # SpaceX Has Launched an Experimental Space Junk Sweeper Into Orbit by [Eli Meixler](/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 3, 2018 3:10 AM CUT  An illustration of space garbage hovering over Earth. An illustration of space garbage hovering over Earth.Petrovich9—Getty Images/iStockphoto by [Eli Meixler](/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 3, 2018 3:10 AM CUT Space may be about to get a lot less cluttered. A Monday launch by SpaceX, Elon Musk’s private aerospace company, saw a [Falcon 9 rocket](http://time.com/5187464/spacex-50th-falcon-9/ "undefined") lift off from Florida packed with three tons of supplies for the International Space Station (ISS). But the launch — the firm’s 53rd to date — also carried some [unconventional cargo](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/spacex-falcon-9-rocket-launch-reused-dragon-cargo-ship-space-station-today-2018-04-02-live-stream/ "undefined"): an experimental system known as RemoveDEBRIS, which scientists hope will help clean up Earth’s space junk-littered upper atmosphere, CBS reports. [Space junk](http://science.time.com/2010/06/28/climate-change-and-space-junk/ "undefined") is a serious problem in Earth’s lower orbit, where there are currently [more than 500,000](https://www.nasa.gov/mission%5Fpages/station/news/orbital%5Fdebris.html "undefined") pieces of defunct satellites, used rocket boosters and other space junk, according to NASA. While many are no larger than a marble, they still pose a threat to satellites and other orbiting structures: In 2015, a rogue piece of an old Russian weather satellite barreling along at eight miles per second forced astronauts in the ISS to take [temporary shelter](http://time.com/3961500/international-space-station-debris/ "undefined"). Scientists hope RemoveDEBRIS will help. [The system](https://www.surrey.ac.uk/surrey-space-centre/missions/removedebris "undefined"), developed by the U.K.’s University of Surrey Space Center (SSC) and co-funded by the European Commission, will be assembled by ISS astronauts before being deployed for a few tests to see how well it captures miniature satellites and pulls them out of orbit. **Read more:** [_You Should Worry (a Little) About Falling Space Debris_](http://time.com/2976883/space-debris-falling/ "undefined") The first trial will involve firing a net to capture the satellites, which “is a very flexible option because even if the debris is spinning, or has got an irregular shape, to capture it with a net is relatively low-risk” compared to retrieving debris using a robotic arm, according to Guglielmo Aglietti, director at the SSC. Another test will involve a retractable harpoon, which is “maybe simpler” but “a bit more risky because you have to hit your debris in a place that is suitable,” Aglietti [said](https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/04/01/eliminating-space-junk-could-take-step-toward-reality-with-station-cargo-launch/ "undefined"). “Clearly, you have to avoid any fuel tanks.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5225670/spacex-space-junk-cleaner-launch/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5225670/spacex-space-junk-cleaner-launch/"},"headline":"SpaceX Has Launched an Experimental Space Junk Sweeper Into Orbit","datePublished":"2018-04-03T03:10:56.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T19:51:14.172Z","description":"Scientists hope RemoveDEBRIS will help clean up Earth's cluttered lower orbit","url":"https://time.com/5225670/spacex-space-junk-cleaner-launch/","keywords":["Space","onetime","overnight"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte33f0b52b9944fbb/69892ca2656a3f22cebd40bc/gettyimages-474381690.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eli Meixler","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eli/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte33f0b52b9944fbb/69892ca2656a3f22cebd40bc/gettyimages-474381690.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Garbage","caption":"Garbage","creditText":"Petrovich9—Getty Images/iStockphoto","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/space/","name":"Space"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5225670/spacex-space-junk-cleaner-launch/","name":"SpaceX Has Launched an Experimental Space Junk Sweeper Into Orbit"}}]}] ```