▁device ▁was ▁scheduled ▁to ▁launch ▁on ▁a ▁Space ▁Sh utt le ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁international ▁agre ements ▁b anning ▁powerful ▁las er ▁testing ▁in ▁orbit ▁limited ▁its ▁use ▁to ▁measurements . ▁The ▁Space ▁Sh utt le ▁Columbia ▁dis aster ▁post pon ed ▁the ▁project ▁and ▁according ▁to ▁Nicholas ▁Johnson , ▁chief ▁scient ist ▁and ▁program ▁manager ▁for ▁NASA ' s ▁Or b ital ▁Deb ris ▁Program ▁Office , ▁" There ▁are ▁lots ▁of ▁little ▁got chas ▁in ▁the ▁Or ion ▁final ▁report . ▁There ' s ▁a ▁reason ▁why ▁it ' s ▁been ▁sitting ▁on ▁the ▁sh elf ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁de cade ." ▁ ▁The ▁momentum ▁of ▁the ▁las er - be am ▁phot ons ▁could ▁directly ▁im part ▁a ▁thrust ▁on ▁the ▁de br is ▁sufficient ▁to ▁move ▁small ▁de br is ▁into ▁new ▁or bits ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁way ▁of ▁working ▁sat ell ites . ▁NASA ▁research ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁indicates ▁that ▁firing ▁a ▁las er ▁beam ▁at ▁a ▁piece ▁of ▁space ▁j unk ▁could ▁im part ▁an ▁imp ulse ▁of ▁ ▁per ▁second , ▁and ▁keeping ▁the ▁las er ▁on ▁the ▁de br is ▁for ▁a ▁few ▁hours ▁per ▁day ▁could ▁alter ▁its ▁course ▁by ▁ ▁per ▁day . ▁One ▁draw back ▁is ▁the ▁potential ▁for ▁material ▁de grad ation ; ▁the ▁energy ▁may ▁break ▁up ▁the ▁de br is , ▁adding ▁to ▁the ▁problem . ▁A ▁similar ▁proposal ▁places ▁the ▁las er ▁on ▁a ▁satellite ▁in ▁Sun - s ynchronous