The problem with space is exactly that. Space. Near space is "empty". Exploring a vacuum just isn't terribly interesting. And the debris out there is studied quite extensively. A few floors away from me in this building they maintain a database of observations and tracking information on thousands of satellites, rocks, and just plain space trash. When they were planning the space station they called over here to find out what area would be the best to build it in order to minimize potential space debris collisions.

[black]-"The further we go and older we grow, the more we know, the less we show."[/black]