Science Roundup: U.N., European bodies outline joint push against space junk

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U.N., European bodies outline joint push against space junk

European and U.N. bodies on Thursday outlined a joint push for global action on space junk, saying that debris orbiting the earth must be cleaned up as satellites launched by private companies and other new entrants are adding to the crowding. So-called space debris has been an issue since the Cold War-era space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. But in the absence of solutions, and with emerging countries like China and India have developed the ability to shoot down satellites, it has only got worse.