When you look up into the night sky, you may only see deep blue colors and the flickering lights from the stars. But behind this view, thousands of tons of space debris float above our earth, equivalent to the weight of roughly 720 school buses (“Mission to Clean Up Space Junk”). Unfortunately, as we continue to learn more about space, this problem is only growing, and taking action will be critical for preserving the future of innovation in the field, but also our environment.  

What is Space Debris?

Space debris refers to the leftover pieces of junk from rockets, man-made satellites, and flecks of paint. This junk can cause millions of dollars worth of damage to spacecraft–for example, the ISS–which are necessary for space exploration.   

There are 34,000 pieces of debris in space that are roughly the size of a deck of playing cards, but there are still tens of thousands of pieces that are smaller (“Space Debris by the Numbers”). If one of these specks of debris hits a satellite, damage worth millions of dollars could be at hand. Even one of the smallest pieces of debris could put the lives of people on a spacecraft at risk. The roughly 23,000 objects larger than the size of a softball can reach a speed up to almost 17,500 miles per hour. Around the Earth, there are approximately 3,000 retired satellites, and only 2,000 other satellites that are still in use (“Space Debris and Human Spacecraft”). It is unfortunate how much debris surrounds the earth at this very moment. While some of this junk consists of the remains of spacecraft, past astronauts have left random objects on the surface of the moon, including a selection of golf balls, and even a piece of art. 

The History of Space Debris-Related Incidents: 

Space debris has grown tremendously over time. Since we began tracking space junk in 1957, we have produced some 128 million pieces of debris larger than 1 millimeter (O’Callaghan). Most of this debris could have fatal consequences if it collides with a space station or an astronaut. 

There have been several instances of collision involving space debris. Some early events took place in 1983, with the U.S. Challenger shuttle, and, in 1996, with France’s reconnaissance satellite. The Challenger collision occurred when the shuttle and a piece of paint roughly 0.01 inches wide hit at an alarming rate, ultimately forcing the U.S. to replace the shuttle. Thirteen years later, France’s satellite collided with an Ariane explosion fragment, and the stabilization boom fell off. In 2001, as space technology was beginning to advance, one U.S. space shuttle needed constant window replacements as a result of space debris. Then, in 2009, the Russian military sent up the satellite, Cosmos 2251, and it collided with a U.S. satellite, breaking both up into pieces that would eventually contribute to the problem of space debris (“Space Debris: Assessing the Risk”). Finally, in 2019, an Indian satellite exploded into hundreds of pieces, nearly hitting the International Space Station (Regan). 

Why is Space Debris a Problem? Why Should We Learn about It?

One of the most critical problems with space debris is known by scientists as either collisional cascading, or, more commonly, as the Kessler effect. Named after Donald Kessler, the Kessler effect describes how space debris collides with other debris and splits into hundreds of tiny pieces; this debris later collides and becomes even smaller (Olson). This process continues indefinitely. Based on the Kessler effect, we get to understand, for reference, how much damage a plum-sized piece of debris could cause to the future of space exploration. 

Imagine that a plum-sized object hit a spacecraft at an extreme rate of roughly six miles per second, as Steve Olson invited his readers to ponder in an Atlantic article on space junk. Due to the speed, the object would rip the wall open, releasing the oxygen inside, likely killing almost everyone on the craft, and leaving survivors a few minutes to get to safety (Olson). The craft will begin a process called “unzipping,” in which the spacecraft will be removed of its exterior shell. With the air flowing out, all the objects inside the craft will be left in space, creating more debris and activating the Kessler effect. The dangers of space debris are not limited only to spacecraft, but can also affect the functionality of the ISS and satellites in orbit. 

There are two reasons to be concerned about space debris: number one, think of how expensive it would be both to remove the debris and avoid it through complicated operations. Number two, so much more fuel would be necessary to complete these missions due to additional required maneuvers. Furthermore, spacecraft will likely need to add shielding to the surrounding areas to prevent millions of dollars worth of damage from occurring; even if we replace spacecraft, debris would ultimately lower the lifespan of the satellite. 

With all of this being said, you might be thinking to yourself, “this sounds interesting, but why should I care about space debris?” While space debris seems to be important only for people going to space, it is also quite relevant to our everyday lives here on Earth. There are many satellites that directly impact basic tasks we do daily, such as driving, seeing what outfit we might wear based on the weather, and calling a friend for dinner. If a piece of space debris were to hit one of these satellites, we would no longer have access to services that we often take for granted, such as GPS or weather forecasting (Doubek). These environmental changes can pose problems in our everyday lives, but also for future generations of humanity.  

Are Space Debris and Climate Change Related?

Because of climate change, people have even been discussing moving to a new planet as soon as 100 years in the future (Zorthian). One practical problem here is, if we were to move, we would need to transport roughly 8 billion people through a minefield of debris. Until we find a way to clean up the debris effectively, we will likely need to stay on a planet where climate change has become such an immediate issue that whole species may go extinct.

Due to climate change, the stratosphere, the layer of the atmosphere above where planes travel, is rapidly shrinking (Carrington). This poses a problem for space exploration and the future of space as a whole. Space exploration promises to help us discover new substances that can push humanity further and that may even help us solve diseases. However, space debris threatens the pathway of satellites and will eventually begin to affect space navigation systems, making it difficult for us to conduct these explorations. Universities, space agencies, and research organizations are devoting too little research and time to studying the effects of carbon emissions on the stratosphere. Understanding the ways our atmosphere is changing at different levels is critical for reducing space debris and maintaining a future in space. 

Key Takeaways: 

Ultimately, space debris is a serious issue that is only getting worse as time goes on, but with effort, progress can be made. While space agencies and independent companies are making an effort to design solutions for the future of space debris removal, not all people believe space debris is as significant of a problem as it is, which results in a lack of funding for removal initiatives. This lack of funding and support may lead to the future of space exploration ending faster than we thought it would. Lastly, the infamous Kessler effect will only be more likely to occur, leaving satellites, rockets, and even people at risk of danger. Space debris removal needs to be a collaborative effort, as debris will continue to cause damage if we do not take immediate action. 

Sources: 

Carrington, Damian. “Climate Emissions Shrinking the Stratosphere, Scientists Reveal.” The

Guardian, 12 May 2021, theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/12/emissions-shrinking-the-strato

phere-scientists-find#:~:text=Humanity%27s%20enormous%20emissions%20of%20greenhouse,without%20major%20cuts%20in%20emissions, Accessed 14 June 2022.

Doubek, James. “The International Space Station Had to Move to Dodge Space Junk.” NPR, 26 

Oct. 2022, 

npr.org/2022/10/26/1131374307/international-space-station-junk-debris-prob

lem-satellite#:~:text=Space%20junk%20can%20threaten%20weather%20forecasting%20

and%20GPS&text=Even%20very%20small%20pieces%20can,as%20high%20as%2033

%2C000%20mph,  Accessed 30 Aug. 2023

“Mission to Clean Up Space Junk with Magnets Set for Launch.” CNN Newsource, 1 April 2021,

keyt.com/news/money-and-business/2021/04/01/mission-to-clean-up-space-junk-with-magnets-set-for-launch/. Accessed 30 Aug 2023. 

O’Callaghan, Jonathan. “What is Space Junk and Why is It a Problem?” Natural History

Museum, nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-is-space-junk-and-why-is-it-a-problem.html, Accessed 14 June 2022. 

Olson, Steve. “The Danger of Space Junk.” The Atlantic, July 1998, 

theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1998/07/the-danger-of-space-junk/306691

/ , Accessed 14 June 2022. 

Regan, Helen. “India Anti-Satellite Missile Test a ‘Terrible Thing,’ NASA Chief Says.” CNN, 2

April 2019, cnn.com/2019/04/02/india/nasa-india-anti-missile-test-intl/index.html, Accessed 30 Aug. 2023. 

“Space Debris: Assessing the Risk.” ESA, 16 March 2005, 

esa.int/About_Us/ESOC/Space_debris_assessing_the_risk, Accessed 14 

June 2022. 

“Space Debris and Human Spacecraft.” NASA, 27 May 2021, 

nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/news/orbital_debris.html, Accessed 14 June 

2022. 

“Space Debris by the Numbers.” ESA, 10 May 2022, 

esa.int/Safety_Security/Space_Debris/Space_debris_by_the_numbers, 

Accessed 13 June 2022. 

Zorthian, Julia. “Stephen Hawking Says Humans Have 100 Years to Move to Another Planet.” 

TIME, 4 May 2017, time.com/4767595/stephen-hawking-100-years-new-planet/, 

Accessed 14 June 2022.