Earth orbit has turned into garbage! No action can be taken

The latest annual report by ESA (European Space Agency) shows that the space debris problem in Earth orbit is getting worse. According to the report, there are more than 35 thousand objects tracked by tracking networks, and about 26 thousand of them consist of pieces of garbage larger than 10 cm.

Space debris problem has increased: Earth orbit is becoming an unsustainable environment

The report states that despite improvements made to reduce the large amount of space debris in Earth orbit, space debris continues to accumulate. This creates “an environment that is unsustainable in the long term.”

SpaceX announced that it has carried out almost 50 thousand collision avoidance maneuvers with 6 thousand 200 satellites of the Starlink megaconstellation in the last year. Additionally, debris from SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule fell into the mountains of North Carolina, risking damage to private property.

A SpaceX piece fell into his field from space!

ESA states that humanity is launching more satellites as commercial ventures increase. Most satellites launched in 2023 are placed in low Earth orbit between 500 and 600 kilometers. Filled with space junk, this region is becoming increasingly congested, and in the event of a collision or explosion, the consequences could be catastrophic.

But there are also positive signs in the report that efforts to reduce space debris are increasing by removing payloads and spent rocket stages from orbit. It was recorded that more than 600 space debris objects fell uncontrollably to the Earth’s surface in 2023.

This happens because satellite and rocket parts are not deorbited properly at the end of their mission. ESA expects more collisions and explosions in orbit in the coming centuries, especially until 2225. The space debris problem poses a serious threat to long-term space exploration and satellite operations.

Space agencies and private companies have to develop more effective methods to solve this problem. What are you thinking? You can share your opinions about the space debris problem in the comments section below.