Japan 'space junk' collector in trouble

An experimental 'space junk' collector designed to pull rubbish from the Earth's orbit has run into trouble, Japanese scientists said on Tuesday, potentially a new embarrassment for Tokyo's high-tech programme.

Over 100 million pieces of garbage are thought to be whizzing around the planet, including cast-off equipment from old satellites and bits of rocket, which experts say pose a growing threat to future space exploration.

Scientists at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are testing an electrodynamic 'tether' - created with the help of a fishing net company - to slow the junk down and bring it into a lower orbit.

The hope was that the clutter - built up after more than five decades of human space exploration - would enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up harmlessly long before it has a chance to crash to the planet.

About 700 metres in length, the tether was due to be extended out from a cargo ship launched in December carrying supplies for astronauts at the International Space Station.