"Japanese Startup's Ground-Based Laser to Combat Space Junk"
Japanese startup EX-Fusion plans to use ground-based diode-pumped solid-state lasers to nudge space junk out of orbit and into the Earth's atmosphere, where it will burn up upon re-entry. The company's background in nuclear fusion technology gives it a potential edge in this endeavor. EX-Fusion has partnered with an Australian firm to install a less powerful laser at an observatory in Canberra, with plans to eventually power up the laser to track and take down space debris. NASA has acknowledged the potential of ground-based laser technology for space junk removal, as space debris poses a serious threat to astronauts and future space missions.