A De-orbit System to Avoid Satellite Collisions

A picture of traceable objects in low orbit around the earth, produced by the European Astronautics Bureau. At present there are 12,000 orbiting objects being monitored.

  A US and a Russian satellite collided in orbit in February. To avoid this kind of accident, China has installed a "de-orbit" control system in Fengyun-2. The meteorological satellite will enter space 30,000 km above the earth once it has ceased operations, to prevent collision with its counterparts. Chinese aeronautics experts plan to install this system into more satellites.