Author notes

The Pilot, Page 108

solarsalvage

on April 19, 2012

Perhaps the biggest impediment to space commerce will be the presence of debris around stations.  Sand-sized granuals may not seem like much when you're at the beach, but they become deadly when encountered at thousands of miles per hour.
Thus, any visitable mining facility will have to feature some way of keeping the chaff from surrounding the station, pigpen-style.
A protective netting around the mineworks is one possible solution.