An experimental Japanese mission to clear 'space junk' or rubbish from the Earth's orbit has ended in failure, officials said Monday, in an embarassment for Tokyo. Over 100 million pieces of garbage are thought to be whizzing around the planet, including cast-off equipment from old satellites and bits of rocket, which experts say could pose risks for future space exploration. Scientists at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) were trying to test an electrodynamic 'tether' - created with the help of a fishing net company - to slow down the orbiting rubbish and bring it into a lower orbit.
The hope was that the clutter - built up after more than five decades of human space exploration - would eventually enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up harmlessly before it had a chance to crash into the planet.
The 700-metre (2,300-foot) long tether - made from thin wires of stainless steel and aluminium - was due to be extended out from a cargo ship launched in December carrying supplies for astronauts at the International Space Station.
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