How to Clean Up After Ourselves in Space

This episode is sponsored by Wren, a website where you calculate your carbon footprint. Sign up to make a monthly contribution to offset your carbon footprint or support rainforest protection projects: https://www.wren.co/start/scishowspace We ve launched thousands of spacecraft over the years. And as the space junk around our planet builds up, researchers are working on ways to clean things up using some obvious things, like lasers, and some less obvious ones, like solar sails. Hosted By: Hank Green ---------- Huge thanks go to the following Patreon supporter for helping us keep SciShow Space free for everyone forever: Jason A Saslow and David Brooks! Support SciShow Space by becoming a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SciShowSpace Or by checking out our awesome space pins and other products over at DFTBA Records: http://dftba.com/scishow ---------- Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet? SciShow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scishow SciShow Tangents Podcast: http://www.scishowtangents.org Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scishow Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scishow Instagram: http://instagram.com/thescishow ---------- Sources: https://www.esa.int/Safety_Security/Space_Debris/Setting_sail_for_sustainable_space https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Ultra-thin_sail_could_speed_journey_to_other_star_systems https://www.space.com/light-sail-2-solar-sail-still-flying-planetary-society https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdm/solarsail/index.html Previous episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9I0j_D2oSw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STo2mV1_FfU Images: https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/the-space-shuttle-lifts-off-from-the-launch-pad-stock-footage/1304191473 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Debris-GEO1280.jpg https://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/photo-gallery/ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NASA_Earth-observing_Fleet_June_2012.ogv https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/space-debris-around-planet-earth-stock-footage/1309135881?adppopup=true https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:STS-118_debris_entry.jpg https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/video/space-junk-orbiting-earth-stock-footage/488829648?adppopup=true https://www.flickr.com/photos/sneak046/16645222450 https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/galactic-trash-orbiting-earth-royalty-free-image/1125629273?adppopup=true https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%D0%9A%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BC%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8B%D2%9B_%D2%9B%D0%BE%D2%9B%D1%8B%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Laser_broom_(artistic).jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cleanspace_One_chasser.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Solar_Sail_(14914129324).jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:IKAROS_solar_sail.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LightSail_2_Deployment_Test.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LightSail_2.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LightSail_2_with_deployed_solar_sail.png https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Solar_sail_tests.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NanoSail-D_in_orbit_(artist_depiction).jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jules_Verne_Automated_Transfer_Vehicle_re-enters_Earth%27s_atmosphere.jpg https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/small_spacecraft/ACS3 https://www.nasa.gov/launching-science-and-technology/solar-sail-test-will-study-near-earth-asteroid