CNN News:欧洲航天局拟2025年发射机器人清理太空垃圾

The European Space Agency is taking steps toward cleaning up a junkyard — the one that surrounds and orbits Earth. Since the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite in 1957, people have sent a lot of stuff into orbit and beyond. And they've left behind a lot of junk in the process.
In fact, European scientists say that if we quit launching stuff into space all together — and we won't — the amount of space junk will still increase because of existing pieces smashing into each other. Clear Space One is the name of a mission that will use a four armed robot in an effort to clean up space.

It will be on the hunt for part of the European rocket that was left in space in 2013. If everything works as planned, the robot will target the rocket part, latch onto it and then reenter Earth's atmosphere where everything will burn up. And if the mission's a success, more like it will be planned for bigger objects. This won't happen soon though. The official launch date is set for 2025. But with so much garbage floating around up there, the Clear Space founder says there are more than 3,000 failed satellites in orbit. Supporters say the time is right for projects like this and the others in development worldwide.