News 3 Questions 25 to 27 are based on the following news. (25) An estimated 500 , 000 piece of debris litter the Earth’s orbits as a result of man’s exploration of space. Some satellites have been hit by fast-moving pieces of junk. The remains of old rockets can be the size of a bus, while other fragments are simply tiny flecks of paints. (26) An Australian company , Electro Optic Systems , has received a 3,5000,000- dollar government grants to develop the world’s first automated> high-precision , laser tracking technology. It would replace existing radar networks that currently monitor that pat of space. The goal is to track small objects with great accuracy. Dr. Craig Smith, the chief executive of Electro Optic Systems, says laser beams fired from the grounds could protect astronauts and satellites by targeting space junk that travels at potentially devastating speeds. “They are all hurtling around in space at 36 , 000 kilometers per hour and so even there like a one millimeter piece of space junk can destroy or damage a satellite, cause it all comes from either dead satellites, satellites which have broken up, satellites which had fuel left in them and exploded. It's really pollution from our own use of space. Over the last 50 years we’ve been a bit careless, just as we’ve been careless with our oceans and rivers over centuries and polluted them. Now we’ve done it to space as well and created our own problem because all this stuff is man-made. ” (27) The laser tracking system would work by giving space craft and satellites, which are able to be maneuvered , time to move out of the way of an incoming chunk of debris. The Australian government said the technology was part of the country's “proud history” in space science and research. The Canberra based team says it’s received interest from around the world. Its ultimate aim is to build a series of laser tracking stations in various countries to provide a defensive shield for activity in space.