“The Space Waste Lab is a bit daunting for me because you start the project with a question: what is space waste and what can you do with it? So it’s very open. Usually designers, myself included, like control. We want our designs and the details to be perfect. But this time, the scope is so big, and I’m an amateur trying to become an expert,” he explains.

The first order of business for the team was to build a system that could track and visualise in real time the debris orbiting earth at an altitude of 200km to 20,000km. This resulted in the Space Waste Lab Performance where high-powered lasers are beamed at each piece of debris in what is a spectacular light show across the night sky.

The phase two of the living lab has led to the rise of several design ideas for upcycling space waste. One of them suggests making use of the debris to form a giant solar reflector. This reduces radiation, thus mitigating the effects of climate change. Another project recommends harvesting space junk and converting them into plasma fuel to power satellites. Space waste can also be recycled and repurposed as the building blocks for future moon habitats through the 3D printing of innovative structures.

See also: 5 Eco-Architects You Should Have On Your Radar)

But perhaps the most realistic, or what Roosegaarde cites as the most inspiring project for him personally, is the artificial shooting stars. The premise for what he calls “the modern version of traditional fireworks” is simple—a controlled re-entry of space waste into the atmosphere not only offers a visual spectacle, but also creates an awareness about clean space, without the pollution. The plan is to launch the project at the Dubai World Expo in 2020 or the Expo Floriade Almere in 2022.

The Space Waste Lab is a part of Studio Roosegaarde’s vision to become a creative force that empowers governments, NGOs and global citizens to create clean environments—clean air, clean water, clean energy and now, clean space.

Roosegaarde posits, “These are the new future values for the world. Design, in general, previously focused on objects, including chairs, tables and lamps, which have their respective purposes, but I think the next step is about improving life and connecting with experts such as scientists who are trying to push humanity to a new level.”

See also: 5 Ways To Understand And Break Down The Concept Of Sustainability

Roosegaarde is one to walk the talk as his social design lab harnesses the power of design and technology to spark imagination and improve urban living conditions. Some of the firm’s internationally acclaimed works include the Smog Free Project, the world’s largest air purifier that turns smog into jewellery; Waterlicht, a virtual flood that highlights the power of water; and Smart Highway, where roads are charged by solar energy during the day and light up at night.

So between artist and environmental advocate, we ask Roosegaarde about the role that he identifies with the most, and his reply, “I’m an activator—I activate dreams and ideas, I make them happen and put them into the world. When we throw a rock into the river, we create some ripples in hopes that the ideas will be accepted. I hope they grow and become not so special anymore, but part of a new standard. My job is to question reality and come up with new proposals. Technology is important, but imagination and building a better humanity is just as important.”