Low Earth orbit increasingly resembles an overcrowded junkyard. Disused satellites, burned-out rocket stages and thousands of pieces of debris produced by collisions – all these things pose a threat to infrastructure in space. Fraunhofer researchers have developed a new radar system and other technologies to give spacecraft better protection against space junk. And that is not all: By virtue of an agile small satellite, the scientists are now also making access to space quicker and more cost-effective.