Agency set to track, deal with space junk

China established a specialized agency on Monday to track and deal with space debris in response to the increasing threat posed to the nation's space assets by orbiting junk.

The Space Debris Monitoring and Application Center, part of the China National Space Administration, is responsible for tracking waste, analyzing hazards, developing prevention and disposal plans, setting up a database and communicating with other nations and international organizations.

It will be managed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences' National Astronomical Observatories.