Space Debris: A ‘Ticking Time Bomb’ for Astronauts and Satellites
The increasing problem of space debris poses a significant threat to astronauts and satellites orbiting Earth. Currently, there are nearly 30,000 large objects larger than a softball traveling at high speeds around our planet, creating a precarious environment for space missions. Experts from LeoLabs, a company specializing in orbital mapping, warn that the escalating amount of debris could lead to catastrophic collisions, with their COO, Dan Ceperley, stating that such events are not a question of “if but when” .
Space debris, especially fragments larger than a few millimeters, can be lethal to astronauts. For instance, while LeoLabs can track objects as small as four inches in diameter, the untracked smaller pieces remain a significant danger. Past incidents highlight this risk; in 2021, a piece of space junk damaged the Canadarm2 robotic arm on the International Space Station (ISS) .
The risks are compounded by near-misses, such as a close encounter between two upper-stage rockets in June 2022 that narrowly avoided a collision. Additionally, the destruction of a Chinese military satellite by debris from a disintegrating Russian rocket in 2021 underscores the growing threat posed by space junk .
With nations like China continuing to expand their space capabilities, the volume of space debris is likely to increase, exacerbating an already critical situation . For more information, you can read the full article on Forbes here.
