Earth is surrounded by millions of pieces of space junk and the problem is getting worse

Earth orbit is increasingly crowded with space junk, and scientists warn that parts of it could become too dangerous to use. WRAL reported that scientists estimate more than 230 million pieces of debris measuring between 1 millimeter and 1 centimeter are circling the planet, along with another 1.5 million larger fragments, traveling at orbital speeds that can exceed 17,000 mph. Astronomy.com said the most crowded area is low Earth orbit, loosely defined as altitudes between 120 miles and 1,200 miles, where the equivalent mass of 150 space shuttles currently spins around the planet. SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, with more than 10,000 satellites, comprises 66% of LEO traffic, according to Astronomy.com. WRAL reported that SpaceX operated more than 11,000 Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit as of an October 6 update, with plans that could eventually include up to 100,000 Starlink satellites and as many as 1 million satellites dedicated to orbital AI computing.

The debris comes from discarded rocket components, defunct satellites, and fragments from previous collisions. Astronomy.com cited the 2009 collision between an American Iridium 33 satellite and a defunct Russian Cosmos-2251, which generated at least 2,000 pieces of debris, and a 2021 Russian missile strike on a defunct Soviet satellite that blasted thousands of pieces of metal through space near the International Space Station. WRAL cited a September 2026 European Space Agency analysis warning that the debris population could continue growing through collisions even if no additional satellites were launched, potentially making some orbital regions increasingly unsafe or unusable.

The consequences extend beyond space. WRAL reported that satellites support GPS navigation, weather forecasting, communications, and other daily services. Astronomer Arun Kannawadi of Duke University told WRAL that satellites reflecting sunlight leave bright streaks across telescope images, and masking them removes precious data, risking missed rare discoveries.

Cleanup efforts are underway. WRAL reported that in October, the U.K. Space Agency announced a £61 million contract with ClearSpace to develop a spacecraft capable of capturing two dead satellites and removing them from orbit, with a launch scheduled for 2029 and the goal of removing both satellites by 2032. Researchers at North Carolina State University are exploring a deposit system in which companies pay a deposit when launching a satellite and receive it back after successfully removing it from orbit. Mark Moretto, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at NC State, said a study he participated in modeled a system in which just 20% of satellites participated, finding that even limited participation could produce meaningful improvements in long-term orbital sustainability.

Climate change complicates the picture. Astronomy.com reported that excessive greenhouse gases can cool and thin the mesosphere, causing atmospheric layers to pancake downward and reducing drag at any given altitude, which means satellites expected to come down in a couple of years could stay up much longer, with a study by Hugh Lewis’ team suggesting debris lifetimes could quintuple by the end of the century. Solar activity has the opposite effect, increasing drag and causing objects to reenter sooner.