Earth's Orbit is a Real Junkyard: Almost Every Second Object in Space Has Already Turned into Debris

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According to a new report by the engineering company Accu, almost half of all known objects in orbit are now effectively considered space debris.

The study is based on data from the American Space Surveillance Network and the Space-Track database.

As noted in the report, out of 33,269 objects currently tracked around Earth, 17,682 are satellites, another 2,396 are spent rocket stages, 12,550 are debris fragments, and 641 objects remain unidentified.

Thus, the authors write, almost 47% of all objects in orbit can already be considered space debris. Moreover, the actual proportion of inactive or uncontrolled objects is likely even higher, as many satellites have long ceased to function. In fact, almost half of everything orbiting Earth now has neither control nor practical use.

Not all objects in orbit are equally dangerous. Large fragments – such as spent rocket stages – are relatively easy to track and bypass if necessary. Small fragments pose a much greater threat.

Such fragments are harder to spot, but they are most often the ones that can collide with active satellites. Even a small piece of metal at cosmic speeds – approximately 28,000 km/h – is capable of seriously damaging a spacecraft or rendering it completely inoperable.

In 2016, a fragment just a few thousandths of a millimeter in size hit the window of the Cupola module on the International Space Station. It left a crater about six millimeters wide on the glass.

Meanwhile, the situation continues to worsen. The number of space launches is growing, and debris accumulates faster than it can be removed from orbit.

According to the report, for every ten satellites in space, there are now approximately seven fragments of debris.

Who are the biggest contributors?

Space debris is distributed very unevenly among countries. According to the report, out of 12,550 known fragments of debris in orbit, 96% (12,041 fragments) originate from three entities: China, former CIS countries, and the USA. China created 34% of the debris, while the USA and CIS countries contributed approximately 31% each.

Павялічыць

Countries that created the most space debris in Earth's orbit. Source: accu.co.uk

A large share of Chinese space debris is linked to the anti-satellite missile test conducted by China in 2007. An old Chinese satellite was destroyed, and the explosion created a vast amount of fragments. This event is considered one of the most significant catastrophes of the space era in terms of the amount of debris generated.

In the case of former CIS countries, the main portion of debris accumulated over decades of Soviet and Russian space launches.

The USA, however, became one of the main sources of debris not only due to its extensive space program but also due to a major accident in 2009. At that time, the inactive Russian satellite "Kosmos-2251" collided with the active American satellite Iridium 33. Thousands of fragments remained in orbit after the collision, many of which will continue to orbit Earth for decades.

According to the American space surveillance system, even more than ten years after that accident, hundreds of fragments from both satellites still remain in orbit.

Some of the debris gradually loses altitude and burns up in the atmosphere, but this process takes years. And even after destruction, the problem does not completely disappear. Metals like aluminum, copper, and lithium evaporate upon entering the atmosphere, but their fine particles remain in the upper layers of the air. Scientists already suspect that this could negatively affect the ozone layer.

What can be done?

Amid growing investments in the space industry, the concept of "Active Debris Removal" is actively developing. However, there are still almost no global programs for clearing orbit.

Missions to capture debris are considered one of the most promising solutions. For example, the European Space Agency's ClearSpace-1 project, scheduled for launch in 2029, will use special robotic manipulators to capture and deorbit a 94 kg object.

Other projects propose using so-called electrodynamic tethers. They will interact with Earth's magnetic field and gradually slow down debris, causing them to deorbit without using fuel.

Another option is special "sails." These are thin, deployable structures that increase drag in the upper layers of the atmosphere, helping old satellites fall back to Earth and burn up more quickly.

There are also more unusual concepts. For example, space harpoons for capturing large debris or magnetic docking systems. "Laser brooms" are also being researched — powerful lasers on Earth or in space that can slightly alter the trajectory of debris, gradually removing it from orbit.

In parallel, space agencies are trying to at least slow down the growth of the problem. For example, satellites at the end of their service life are now trying to "deactivate" – jettisoning remaining fuel and shutting down systems to avoid explosions. Furthermore, many regulators require that after mission completion, spacecraft leave orbit no later than 25 years. Some countries are already proposing to reduce this period to five years. Engineers are also working on materials that will completely burn up upon atmospheric re-entry.

Obstacles

Despite technological progress, serious obstacles stand in the way of a "cleaner space." Firstly, there's the enormous cost: removing even a single object costs colossal sums, and there are tens of thousands of such objects.

Secondly, there are legal complexities, as under international law, each piece of debris remains the property of the country that launched it, which limits joint actions. Additionally, there is the problem of "dual-use": technology capable of removing an old satellite could be used as a space weapon to intercept other active spacecraft.

As a result, while technologies and legal norms are still being developed, orbit is becoming increasingly crowded, and the risk of collisions is steadily rising. According to Accu's estimates, approximately 15.5 thousand tons of space debris currently float above people's heads — roughly the weight of 40 large Jumbo Jet passenger aircraft. And this mass continues to increase every year.

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