When you buy through links on our land site , we may pull in an affiliate commission . Here ’s how it works .
On June 27 , 2024 , nine astronauts aboard theInternational Space Station(ISS ) were thrust to take shelter in a docked crowd capsule after a nearbyRussian satellite shattered into more than 100 pieces , showering the sky with potentially risky debris .
Though the astronauts return to the ISS roughly an minute later and resumed mental process as normal , the panic attack brought into sharp focus the growing crisis of space detritus in Earth ’s crowded atmosphere . Space rubble — known informally as infinite debris — is the name that scientists give to the tens of thousands of part of broken satellites and spacecraft that back up Earth ’s scope . Space debris can be as belittled as a key fleck or as large as an abandoned Eruca vesicaria sativa launch vehicle ; no matter the size , orbital debris poses a significant threat to the astronauts and ballistic capsule that shape in Earth ’s orbit , grant toNASA .
Scientists monitor more than 23,000 pieces of large orbital debris, but there are trillions of pieces that are too small to be tracked.
The amount of outer space junk in orbit increases hand - in - paw with the ontogenesis of the space industry on Earth . On March 10 , a radical of outside researcher write in the journalScienceraised the alarum on the uprise trouble of space junk , calling for a de jure - binding pact to " assist protect Earth ’s scope " before it becomes irreparably polluted with dust . Despite this , secret companies continue to pump a record number of newfangled satellites into orbit each class — and Earth is starting to see the moment in manner that are inconceivable to ignore .
Here ’s everything you ask to know about outer space rubble , and why scientist are concern .
What is space junk?
blank detritus concern to any human - made debris left in orbit around Earth .
This let in amply entire satellites that have run out of power and been left in eye socket after the end of their commission , as well as broken in chunks of machinery create when tumid object collide . Even tiny potato chip of blusher that have been ripped off of skyrocket weigh as blank space dust .
How much space junk is there right now?
Scientists currently track more than 29,000 pieces of space debris that are gravid than a playground ball , accord to theEuropean Space Agency(ESA ) . This includes about 3,000 defunct satellites that have been left to decay in scope , according to theNatural History Museumof London .
However , most pieces of orbital rubble are far too little to be tracked . investigator estimate that there are more than 100 trillion untracked pieces of space junk in Earth orbit , according to the Science study . The immense majority of this untracked detritus is in all probability less than 0.4 inches ( 1 cm ) wide .
However , even bantam piece of space debris can vex big problems for operative space vehicle .
An illustration of space junk, or space debris, around Earth.
Why is space junk a problem?
Even tiny pieces of space junkcan cause unbelievable equipment casualty . That ’s because target in orbit move incredibly quickly , typically reach speeds of neat than 15,600 mph ( 25,200 kilometer / h ) , or 10 times the speed of an average bullet shoot on Earth . If two objects strike in polar directions collide with one another in quad , then the impact becomes even greater .
This stand for that even pea plant - size objects can become grievous projectile in orbit . This was illustrated in 2016 , when a diminished key fleck collide with a windowpane on the ISS , gouge a poop - column inch incision into the chicken feed . ( Fortunately , the window held ) .
Can space junk fall to Earth?
Yes , blank junkfrequently falls to Earth . On average , anywhere from 200 to 400 pieces of tracked space debris plump through Earth ’s air every year , grant to theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration .
Most of this loose - fall junk is small enough that it burn up completely in the atmosphere , never touch the background . Larger objects that can survive the twilight ( like satellites ) typically splosh down into the ocean , but not always .
In August 2022 , a scorch , spike - like chunk of aSpaceXCrew Dragon spacecraft fell through the air andlanded on a sheep farm in Australia .
The 10 foot seared spike from a SpaceX vehicle was found standing upright in a sheep farm in Australia.
On March 8 , 2024 , a mysterious objectcrashed through two floors of a Florida family ’s rest home . NASAlater confirmed that the object was part of a cargo pallet containing 5,800 pounds ( 2,630 kilograms ) of used barrage that were jettisoned from the ISS in March 2021 . Nobody was injured , but the alarmed family unit file a title with NASAseeking defrayal for the damages .
Near - miss incidents like these are becoming increasingly common . In May 2024 , a gravid chunk of a SpaceX Dragon capsulecrashed onto a lavishness campgroundin the mountains of North Carolina . That same month , another large firearm of a SpaceX Dragon capsulecrash - land on a Canadian farmer ’s propertyin Saskatchewan .
Beyond the clear physical risks of come space junk , late studies have found that deorbiting spacecraft may also bepolluting the atmospheric state with metallic element contaminants , and possiblydepleting the ozone bed . Further sketch is needed to amply understand the unobserved effects of orbital debris cauterize up in our planet ’s atmosphere .
Space junk incidents in orbit
On Feb. 10 , 2009 , a defunct Russian spacecraft crash into a functioning U.S. Iridium commercial spacecraft , destroy both and add together more than 2,300 pieces of trackable blank space junk to orbit , according to NASA .
In March 2021 , a small-arm of a Russian Eruca vesicaria sativa clash with anddestroyed a functioning Chinese military satellite .
In June 2021 , a small-scale piece of unknown space junkslammed into the International Space Station ’s automatic arm , prejudicious but not destroy it .
Incidents are occur more oftentimes as more place detritus is added to orbit each year .
