- Space debris or space junk has been an issue for years, and it continues to be a major problem for space exploration.
- There were multiple incidents of space debris potentially colliding with the International Space Station this year.
- Here’s a look at what causes space debris, who’s responsible and what can be done.
2021 is an important year for space. With the beginning of space tourism, the first batch of peppers grown in space and other major launches and activities arrive. There have also been some unfortunate incidents. The International Space Station (ISS) moved 1,240 meters to avoid space debris caused by the dismantling of Chinese satellites.
This is not the only event this year, because there are a lot of space debris that may cause collisions.
So what is space debris?
Space debris or space junk is basically discarded materials from launch vehicles such as rockets or spacecraft components roaming in space. Because this junk material floats in space, it often comes into contact with satellites or space stations, risking collisions. Space debris may also come from space explosions or the destruction of satellites through missile tests.
Because space debris floats in low-Earth orbit at a speed of approximately 15,700 miles per hour, this makes satellites or spacecraft very likely to collide with these materials.
How much space debris is there?
According to the US Department of Defense’s Global Space Surveillance Network (SSN), more than 15,000 pieces of space debris larger than 4 inches have been tracked. It is estimated that there are about 200,000 pieces between 0.4 and 4 inches in size, and millions of pieces less than 1 cm in size. According to NASA, even a small amount of space debris colliding with a spacecraft can cause major problems.
Who is responsible for space junk?
Russia, the United States, China, France, and India are responsible for space debris. According to reports, Russia is said to have the most space debris, estimated to be about 14,500. Given that space junk can float in space for several years, this makes it a big problem. For example, an old rocket launched by the United States in 1994 passed near the International Space Station, causing the space station to move orbit. Space junk from an old Chinese weather satellite that was destroyed in 2007 also almost collided with the International Space Station last month.
Last month, a Russian satellite was also destroyed. The United States said that this caused more than 1,500 large space debris and hundreds of thousands of small debris to collide with the International Space Station.
Can space junk be removed?
According to NASA, space debris with an orbit below 600 kilometers will fall back to Earth within a few years, but space debris above 1,000 kilometers will continue to float for 100 years or more. But the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) plan to work with startups to remove space junk.
JAXA has partnered with Astroscale, and the first phase of the debris removal mission is planned for 2022. ESA plans to launch its mission with the Swiss startup ClearSpace in 2025.
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