2 incidents iin the recent years - a chinese anti-satellite test and an satellite crash has doubled the amount of space-debris and forced ISS to move orbit twice. "We've lost control of the environment" report says

There are now 22.000 recorded space-debris objects in orbit and countless smaller debris' that could do damage to human-carrying spaceships and satellites. So far the ISS has had to move orbit twice to avoid incidenses.

Snce the start of the space age began 54 years ago, scientist quickly realized that space-junk wold become a problem and came to an agreement to limit and record any spacejunk.

But 2 events in the past 4 years - a 2007 Chinese anti-satellite test and a 2009 satellite chrash - put so much new junk in space that everything changed, the report said. The Chinese test alone created 150.000 pieces of debris larger than 1cm! "Those two single events doubled the amount of fragments in Earth orbit and completely wiped out what we had done in the last 25 years, which means you have to look at cleaning space,""Kessler said.

"All that junk that means something has to be done" said retired NASA senior scientist Donald Kessler, who headed the report.

The study only briefly mentions the cleanup possibility, raising technical, legal and diplomatic hurdles. But it refers to a report earlier this year by a Defense Department science think-tank that outlines all sorts of unusual techniques. The report by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is called "Catcher's Mitt" mentions harpoons, nets, tethers, magnets and even a giant dish to sweep up tiny pieces of debris.

While the new report doesn't recommend using the technology, Kessler said it's needed. He likes one company's idea of a satellite that is armed with nets that could be sprung on wayward junk. Attached to the net is an electromagnetic tether that could either pull the junk down to a point where it would burn up harmlessly or boost it to safer orbit.

NASA officials said they are examining the study.

The report is from the National Research Council chartered by Congress to advise the government on science. NASA is now examining the report

Sources: National Academy of Sciences: http://bit.ly/qiBcD2 and AFP