Abstract
The removal and recovery of space debris has become a major international problem. Various artifacts
(space debris), generated during space exploration, exist in the Earth’s orbit and pose a major obstacle to
space activities. The removal of such debris by laser has been proposed and studied for more than 20
years, although it has not yet been implemented due to the elementary technology of a high-power laser
irradiation system. The following extremely advanced and cutting-edge technologies are required: a
high-power laser technology with a high repetition rate; a technology that focuses light on an object more
than 1000 km away; a technology that compensates for atmospheric fluctuations; and a tracking technology
that keeps the irradiated objects moving at high speed. This paper describes the possibility of space
debris removal using ground-based lasers and reports on the current status of the required high-power lasers.
