The invention relates to the protection of spacecraft from debris and to de-orbiting devices of the atmospheric drag type, and to debris sweeping apparatus for the removal of debris from the space environment. The debris shielding apparatus for a spacecraft has a shield unit including a shielding surface for impeding incident debris. The shield unit is attached to the spacecraft body and has a drive mechanism for positioning the shield unit in relation to the spacecraft body. The drive mechanism is capable of moving the shield unit between a stowed first position and a deployed second position. In the deployed second position the plane of the shielding surface is at an angle to the spacecraft body.