Wikipedia calls it a laser broom. The basic concept is that it pulses a laser at the target nudging it into an eccentric orbit. Thereby significantly shortening it's orbital lifespan. It's best suited to small pieces that are impractical to send a satellite after.
On a related note I came across a decent article from Arstechnica that examines the issue of space debris as well.
Wikipedia calls it a laser broom. The basic concept is that it pulses a laser at the target nudging it into an eccentric orbit. Thereby significantly shortening it's orbital lifespan. It's best suited to small pieces that are impractical to send a satellite after.
On a related note I came across a decent article from Arstechnica that examines the issue of space debris as well.