Stunning project proposes turning space waste into beautiful shooting stars

This unique science project proposes upcycling space waste into beautiful SHOOTING STARS.

Designed by dutch innovator Daan Roosegaarde and a team of engineers, the proposal is just one of the ways to tackle the estimated 8.1 million kilos of waste floating around in space.

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The shooting star concept would see the waste collected and then fired back into the Earth’s atmosphere, burning up and offering a glittering spectacle.

As well as this plan, Daan recently revealed ideas to use such waste to create the likes of space “vacuum cleaners,” a solar reflector, and 3D printed homes on the moon.

Daan, of Studio Roosegaarde in Rotterdam, Netherlands, said: “We have a focus on the Shooting Stars project, to create artificial fallen stars from captured space waste, as a visual performance and improvement of humanity.

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“ESA [European Space Agency] and experts have validated this is realistic in terms of science and technology.

“In the coming months we will work on a more detailed plan.”

In the past, Dean has worked on other projects – such as the Smog Free Project – which, he said, helped bring him to focus on space waste.

PIC FROM STUDIO ROOSEGAARDE / CATERS: Giant solar reflector

There are currently more than 29,000 objects larger than 10 centimeters floating around the Earth – mainly parts of broken rockets and satellites.

Such waste can damage the likes of satellites and broken rockets.

Explaining the issues with this amount of weight, Dean added: “In a few decades the debris could be so dense that it prohibits the use of low orbit satellites, spelling disaster for global communication.”