Astronauts and space agencies handle space debris with several strategies:

1. Tracking and Monitoring: Space agencies track debris using radar and telescopes to predict potential collisions. This helps in planning maneuvers to avoid debris.

2. Collision Avoidance: If a piece of debris poses a significant risk, spacecraft can perform a “debris avoidance maneuver” to change their trajectory and avoid a collision.

3. Shielding: Spacecraft and space stations are equipped with shielding to protect them from smaller debris. This can include materials designed to absorb or deflect impacts.

4. Debris Removal Missions: Agencies like NASA and ESA are working on technologies and missions to actively remove debris from orbit, such as using nets, harpoons, or lasers.

5. Design and Engineering: New satellites and spacecraft are designed to minimize the creation of additional debris, such as using materials that burn up in the atmosphere if they re-enter.

Managing space debris is crucial to ensuring the safety and longevity of space missions and satellite operations.