Unwanted plastic debris from satellites to prototypes left by humans in low-Earth orbit. This has become a "new drifting island of plastic" in outer space.
Experts warn that more than 128 million pieces of debris larger than 1mm and 34,000 pieces larger than 10cm drift in orbit.
The island consists of old rockets, paint flakes, and various parts from satellites and space exploration efforts.
Ekaterini Kavvada, the directorate general of Defence Industry and Space at the European Commission warn that space junk has become a realistic threat similar to floating islands of plastic in oceans.
She adds that space trash poses a threat to active European satellites, stating that the consequences may be detrimental if left unaddressed.
Once centimeter fragments could destroy active satellites because of the speed, it travels according to the London Economic.
Kavvada also states that more than 5,000 satellites were in space since January of 2019, with only 2,000 still active to this day.
"Hopefully--and this is why we cross our fingers every day-- those satellites may be able to deorbit and mostly burn up in the atmosphere when their useful life is finished," she states.
On the other hand, Ms. Kavvada warns that there are almost 3,000 inactive satellites currently drifting in space, with recent findings that there have been roughly 500 break-ups and explosions in the space objects that result in fragmentation.
She notes that additional mega networks of satellites may result in Kessler Syndrome rendering the Earth's orbit unusable.
What is the Kessler Syndrome?
According to the European Space Agency, Don Kessler in 1978 observed that when in a critical mass, the amount of space debris will continuously increase . Collisions will bring more debris, which will generate more debris, so an endless cycle is born.
There has been a recorded 50% increase in debris levels in Earth's low orbit in the last five years.
ESA has launched a Clean Space initiative where they seek to cur debris from the production of future ESA missions. However, salvaging current debris is still in the works.
What is Space Debris?
Space debris seems like it came from a sci-fi novel; however, even though we don't see space junk in the sky, it enters low Earth orbit (LEO), says NASA.
LEO has become an orbital space junkyard where millions of space junk reside. Most debris comprises human-generated objects like spacecraft, flecks of paint from spacecraft, rocket parts, inactive satellites, or explosions of orbits in space at high velocities.
In an article by National Geographic, two satellites--inactive Russian satellite and U.S-based communication satellite collided in 2009 roughly 500 miles above Siberia. This incident was the first recorded collision between two satellites in space, which reminded the world of space junk risks.
A drifting island of plastic space trash left in low Earth orbit shouldn't be left unchecked. The quicker experts discover a solution to the growing problem, the safer space will be.
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