US to establish new rules on hazardous ‘space junk’

Rules will require operators to more quickly dispose of defunct satellites that are endangering spacecraft on active missions

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to adopt new rules to address the growing risks of orbital debris - commonly known as space junk - posing a hazard to extraterrestrial exploration.

The government body will give US operators much tighter deadlines to get rid of defunct satellites whizzing uselessly around the planet and getting in the way of spacecraft on active missions.