Sticky ‘space Velcro’ modelled on how geckos stick to walls has been developed to help clear dangerous space junk from Earth’s orbit.

There are currently around 500,000 pieces of human-made debris hurtling around the planet, at speeds of up to 17,500 mph and experts predict that if the problem is not addressed soon it could prevent future launches.

The refuse made up of defunct satellites, bits of spacecraft, and spent rockets already poses a threat to communications systems, space vehicles and astronauts.

However catching the junk is tricky in space because suction cups do not work in vacuum and traditional sticky substances like tape and glue cannot handle the freezing temperatures.

Now Stanford University and Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have designed a new kind of robotic sticky to grab and dispose of the debris.