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According to the Mirror, scientists estimate that there are currently around 600,000 pieces of space debris orbiting Earth, mainly ranging in size from 1 to 10 cm. On average, every year, one satellite gets destroyed by such space debris. Furthermore, the current and future amount of space junk will pose a significant obstacle to the space exploration missions of the next generation.
Donal J Kessler, a scientist working at the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), explains that the likelihood of space collisions will increase as the amount of debris accumulates. Thus, every new fragment created will generate even more fragments exponentially. This phenomenon is referred to as the Kessler Syndrome, first proposed in 1978.
Space companies are making efforts to address this issue. Presently, SpaceX and Blue Origin are two companies capable of reusing rocket launch equipment and designing satellites and other space vehicles to ensure their safety after use.
Dr. Hugh Lewis believes that this problem is increasingly becoming a threat to the ability of future generations to live and work in space. “Solving the space debris problem is one of the biggest environmental challenges facing humanity, but it is often overlooked,” he states. Dr. Lewis currently leads a space debris research group at the University of Southampton.
“Every day, we use services provided by satellites without realizing how vulnerable they are. Not only can satellites be damaged or destroyed by debris today or tomorrow, but it also relates to the dreams and ambitions of living in space for future generations,” says Dr. Hugh Lewis.
NASA defines space debris as “any human-made object in orbit around the Earth that no longer serves a useful purpose.” The largest piece of debris currently is Envisat – an Earth observation satellite the size of a double-decker bus launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2002, now orbiting Earth at around 225 km.
Additionally, other debris includes 2,000 fragments from a collision between a Russian satellite and a US commercial satellite in 2009. Prospero, a satellite launched into orbit by the UK in 1971, is still circling Earth as space junk.