What is Space Junk, and Why is it a Problem?

What is Space Junk?

Space Junk is any debris and the -products of humans in space. This debris does not serve a purpose anymore and is dysfunctional. NASA has estimated 36,500 objects bigger than 10cm, 1 million objects between 1-10cm, and 130 million objects floating around. Space Junk is known to stay in orbit for over a thousand years.

Why is it a Problem?

Space Junk litters the Earth, orbiting at around 15,700 mph, which could cause fatal damage to a satellite or a spacecraft. Space X’s Starlink satellites are involved in 16,000 close crash encounters in a week alone. Space Junk is a safety hazard to space-based operations.

How can we solve this problem?

We need to come together since this is a global problem. Some ways we can solve this problem are:

• Sending up teams to clean up the larger pieces

• Focus on future missions having removable and sustainable technology on board.

• Raise awareness and research about the topic

Space Junk is an environmental problem that is just as important as the environmental problems on Earth. Many companies, such as the Japanese space technology company Astroscale, ClearSpace, Obruta, and Share my Space, focus on solving this problem. Even though solving the problem of Space Junk will take lots of effort, it will pay off for future generations.

Citations:

“Space Junk Is a Huge Problem—and It’s Only Getting Bigger.” Science, 25 Apr. 2019, www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/space-junk.

“Solving the Space Junk Problem.” CU Boulder Today, 26 May 2020, www.colorado.edu/today/2020/05/26/solving-space-junk-problem

“What Is Space Junk and Why Is It a Problem?” What Is Space Junk and Why Is It a Problem? | Natural History Museum, 20 Sept. 2018, www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-is-space-junk-and-why-is-it-a-problem.html#:~:text=Space%20junk%2C%20or%20space%20debris,have%20fallen%20off%20a%20rocket.