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A LASER “broom” that will sweep space junk out of the path of the International Space Station will be tested on a space shuttle mission in 2003. The high-tech broom, known as Project Orion, is designed to sweep up objects the size of tennis balls. NASA scientists say that unless some of the debris is removed there is a 1 in 10 chance that the International Space Station will be holed during the next ten years.

Orbiting space junk has long been recognised as a problem for the ISS. The vehicle is designed with a shield that protects it from…

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