The laser beams, emitted for a few minutes, would be enough to zap the junk into smaller, less harmful pieces.
China claims that the space station will crash in a deep-sea area in the South Pacific known as the "spacecraft cemetery".
Using eight different telescopes from around the world, including one at the south pole, scientists are working on the first-ever image of a black hole.
Some extraordinary celestial moments are lined up in 2018. IBTimes UK has compiled a curated list to help you catch the best ones.
The image was taken by Juno spacecraft during its 10th close flyby of the planet. Jupiter looks to have cut in half in this beautiful image.
The pits were discovered by astronomers assessing images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).
Greenhouse gasses can wreak havoc in an atmosphere and Venus is an extreme example.
United Launch Alliance's Delta IV rocket lifted off from the Vandenberg air force base, launching the NRO's secret spy satellite into space.
40 years ago today, NASA revealed its first astronaut class consisting exclusively of women. These astronauts would reach posterity not just as "NASA girls" but as groundbreakers.
While astronomers have predicted this type of event before, it has never been observed directly in a distant galaxy.
The technology works in much the same way as Global Positioning Systems on Earth, albeit on a cosmic scale.
Astronomers have captured "burps" in the past but this is the first time a supermassive black hole has been caught burping twice.
The new five-exoplanet system, dubbed K2-138, is located within the Aquarius constellation and is the first planetary system to be found by citizen scientists.
The video lets us dive deep into the nebula, which is located some 1,350 light years away from Earth.
Understanding water ice on Mars is key to unlocking the secrets of the Red Planet, according to scientists.
A 360 degree visualisation allows you to experience travel through distant cosmos.
This is the first time water and organic matter associated with it has been found at the same place.
An unexplained source of powerful cosmic radio bursts is originating from an "extreme environment" that is among the most magnetic regions of the universe ever observed.
Scientists detect "whirlpool"-like motion of gases inside galaxies which formed 800 million years after Big Bang.
The new research has implications for understanding how planetary systems form, astronomers say.
Norishige Kanai made headlines with tweet claiming he had grown 9cm since leaving for International Space Station.
A small extraterrestrial pebble was found to contain exotic micro-mineral compounds not found anywhere on Earth or any meteorites or comets.
Billions in research and development are lost every time a new government shifts major spaceflight strategy, say researchers.
A Japanese astronaut has spoken about his amazing growth spurt and concerns that he may not fit into his Earth-bound Soyuz space shuttle.
Cassini's narrow-angle camera took the snapshot on 12 February, 2016 when the spacecraft was flying approximately 1.2 million kilometres away from its innermost moon.
The Zuma mission has been shrouded in mystery ever since it was announced in October last year.
The rock art represents two cosmic objects, a full moon and a star which exploded sometime around 3,600BC.
Global Ipsos-Mori poll finds more Indians believe in prospect of alien invasion than any other country.
Following the successful Zuma mission, SpaceX's new massive Falcon Heavy rocket will be launched later this month.
The spectacular image was taken by the Juno spacecraft from a distance of about 13,345km.