Space is getting awfully messy. The amount of debris in Earth's orbit keeps multiplying each year, damaging satellites and putting astronauts in harm's way. If the problem gets severe enough, it could eventually make low-Earth orbit unusable.
Scientists have known about the space trash problem since the 1970s. Humans have placed thousands of objects into orbit since Sputnik, and some of those old satellites and ejected rockets are breaking apart. As pieces collide with each other at high speeds and shatter, they create more debris. Repeat until space is saturated with high-flying junk.
Yet despite ample warning, the world's nations have never quite been able to agree how to solve the problem. The technology to clean up debris exists, but no one can decide how to pay for it. So that's where economists come in.