Mimicking Geckos to Clean Up Space Debris
August 15, 2025
An international team of researchers is developing a satellite that uses sticky synthetic materials to grip onto debris in space—in much the same way geckos cling to walls—for removal as a hazard to human operations. Such technical help would be welcome. But as Marilyn Harbert and Asha Balakrishnan write in Issues, the United States—a top source of orbital junk—now lacks adequate overarching policies covering space debris. They call for a new regulatory authority with clear responsibility to chart the present space environment, minimize creation of debris, and remediate or remove potentially troublesome debris already in orbit.