In October 2010, the International Space Station was ordered to maneuver to avoid a potential collision with large orbital debris, according to the NASA report.

The Japanese joint project will send a satellite attached to a thin metal net made by fishing net company Nitto Seimo Co. When the metal net is detached in space, it will collect space debris in its path orbiting Earth for several weeks.

The net charged with electricity will be drawn back toward Earth by magnetic fields. The net is made up of three-layered metal threads, each measuring 1 mm diameter and intertwined with fibers as thin as human hair, the report said.
The manufacturer of the net, Nitto Seimo, first invented a machine to make strong knotless fishing nets in 1925.

A collision between a satellite and space junk can cause even more collisions as space waste orbiting around Earth could then change course and cause further collisions with many other space vehicles.

The consequential problems include disruption of GPS, international phone connections, television signals and weather forecasts, according to the report.

Maggie Aderin-Pocock, a British space scientist, welcomed the move in the Telegraph report: “I’m glad someone is doing something about it because space debris is extremely dangerous. However, I am slightly apprehensive as the net will have to be used carefully because we wouldn’t want a real satellite getting caught up in the net.”

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com)