NEW DELHI: Space debris, also known as space junk consists of any man-made objects left in space, ranging from large, defunct satellites to minute items like paint chips and small hardware, which orbits at speeds of approximately 18,000 miles per hour, as per Nasa.
Space junk is the discarded components of space systems that are no longer needed. These components may include satellites that have reached the end of their operational life or parts of rocket systems that have served their purpose and been abandoned.
The American space agency further estimates that there are roughly 1 million pieces of debris larger than 1 centimetre in size in outer space.
Meanwhile, the challenge posed by space junk to space travel and exploration is becoming as space activities continue to increase.
There is a growing risk of this debris falling back to Earth, eventually making it important to understand the nature of space junk, its locations, and the issues it creates.
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) estimates that there could be up to 170 million pieces of debris in orbit, with the majority being too small to track due to current technological limitations.
Additionally, department of defense’s global Space Surveillance Network (SSN) tracks more than 27,000 objects, like spent rocket boosters, active satellites, and dead satellites, are monitored among the 55,000 pieces of debris.
Space junk is primarily found in low Earth orbit (LEO), which has become an orbital junkyard due to several factors such as the deliberate destruction of the Chinese Fengyun-1C spacecraft in 2007 and the accidental collision of an American and a Russian spacecraft in 2009 alone have increased the large orbital debris population in LEO by approximately 70%, posing greater collision risks for spacecraft operating in low Earth orbit, as per Nasa.
However, there are no international space laws in place to address the cleanup of debris in LEO.
Dangers of space junk
The dangers of space junk lie in its high velocity and the sheer number of particles orbiting the Earth. According to NASA, debris can travel at speeds of up to 18,000 mph, which is “10 times faster than the speed of a bullet, so even a tiny paint chip can rupture a spacesuit or damage delicate solar arrays and electronics on a satellite.”
The International Space Station has already experienced damage from a two-inch piece of space junk striking one of its components in 2021, and astronauts have had to evacuate to a space capsule due to the threat of incoming debris.
While the risk of space junk hitting humans on Earth is relatively low, with the European Space Agency (ESA) estimating the chances to be less than 1 in 100 billion, the increasing number of objects entering and returning from space raises concerns. As the debris count continues to grow, the possibility of future collisions and the potential impact on space exploration and satellite operations becomes more significant.
Space junk is the discarded components of space systems that are no longer needed. These components may include satellites that have reached the end of their operational life or parts of rocket systems that have served their purpose and been abandoned.
The American space agency further estimates that there are roughly 1 million pieces of debris larger than 1 centimetre in size in outer space.
Meanwhile, the challenge posed by space junk to space travel and exploration is becoming as space activities continue to increase.
There is a growing risk of this debris falling back to Earth, eventually making it important to understand the nature of space junk, its locations, and the issues it creates.
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) estimates that there could be up to 170 million pieces of debris in orbit, with the majority being too small to track due to current technological limitations.
Additionally, department of defense’s global Space Surveillance Network (SSN) tracks more than 27,000 objects, like spent rocket boosters, active satellites, and dead satellites, are monitored among the 55,000 pieces of debris.
Space junk is primarily found in low Earth orbit (LEO), which has become an orbital junkyard due to several factors such as the deliberate destruction of the Chinese Fengyun-1C spacecraft in 2007 and the accidental collision of an American and a Russian spacecraft in 2009 alone have increased the large orbital debris population in LEO by approximately 70%, posing greater collision risks for spacecraft operating in low Earth orbit, as per Nasa.
However, there are no international space laws in place to address the cleanup of debris in LEO.
Dangers of space junk
The dangers of space junk lie in its high velocity and the sheer number of particles orbiting the Earth. According to NASA, debris can travel at speeds of up to 18,000 mph, which is “10 times faster than the speed of a bullet, so even a tiny paint chip can rupture a spacesuit or damage delicate solar arrays and electronics on a satellite.”
The International Space Station has already experienced damage from a two-inch piece of space junk striking one of its components in 2021, and astronauts have had to evacuate to a space capsule due to the threat of incoming debris.
While the risk of space junk hitting humans on Earth is relatively low, with the European Space Agency (ESA) estimating the chances to be less than 1 in 100 billion, the increasing number of objects entering and returning from space raises concerns. As the debris count continues to grow, the possibility of future collisions and the potential impact on space exploration and satellite operations becomes more significant.