Why Space Junk Is Far More Dangerous Than You Realize
Space Debris By The Numbers
Whenever a new object reaches space, people line up to watch and dutifully clap. Another successful rocket launch. Another train of satellites. A new test booster for missions to the moon and Mars. These are exciting milestones that visibly show humanity’s progress into the future. What people forget about, or outright ignore, is the amount of space debris that each of these missions generates.
The Earth is enveloped by garbage. Many people are quick to point out the disgusting garbage island floating in the Pacific and hold their nose when they drive by their local landfill. People like to recycle because they feel like they are reducing the amount of trash generated. Hwoever, no one seems to care about the growing cloud of garbage literally hanging over their heads. This garbage is largely invisible to the eyes of regular people but it is by no means harmless. Space junk is a growing problem and one that could become dangerous in the future.
Space Debris By The Numbers
According to the United Nations, nearly 17,000 registered objects have been launched into space since 1957. Most of those objects are still in space and many of them are orbiting the Earth as dilapidated husks.
