While space exploration prepares for an intense decade, cleaning up debris and preventing future pollution are growing priorities for innovators.
According to the European Space Agency, millions of pieces of space junk surround the Earth.
Space mapping, tracking and cleaning will become a big business as commercial exploration takes off.
Co-founded by a NASA astronaut, US company LeoLabs uses radars in order to track space debris and "make sure there are no surprises" that could impact the increase in the number of satellites launched into orbit.
SpaceX and the United States Department of Defense have joined its collision avoidance service.
The Japanese-British company Astroscale has launched from Kazakhstan ELSA-d, the first commercial space debris removal system. The satellite can locate and block debris, push it into the Earth's atmosphere and let it burn.
Kyoto University astrophysics students teamed up with Japanese company Sumitomo Forestry to develop LignoSat, a satellite encased in wood, which they believe will burn on reentry without releasing harmful substances.
European startup Space Cargo Unlimited is using the zero-gravity potential to develop commercial applications for Earth-related products. In 2019 they sent grapes into space and is now partnering with French company Mercier to develop climate-resilient vine varieties.
Possible course of action:
Companies planning space travel will need to incorporate sustainability into their strategies. Others may draw inspiration from techniques developed in space, to be applied to product design on our planet.
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