According to experts from the University of Plymouth, The University of Texas in Austin, The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Spaceport Cornwall, and the Zoological Society of London, by 2030, there will be 60,000 satellites orbiting the Earth, an increase of 7,000 satellites.
Over 100 trillion untracked pieces of old satellites circle the planet, according to a letter written by many researchers and published in the Science Journal. This trend is expected to continue as a shift towards mega-constellations of smaller satellites occurs. Private entities such as Elon Musk’s Space X launch 3,000 Starlink satellites, which will increase the number of LEO (Low orbiting satellites) to approximately 12,000 by 2026.
According to NASA, over 27,000 pieces of “space junk” are being tracked. Non-functional spacecraft, abandoned launch vehicle stages, mission-related debris, and fragmentation debris are examples of space debris (Scientists Call for Legally Binding Treaty to Protect Earth’s Orbit, n.d.).
“We’re going to make a huge mess if we’re too slow and don’t have these discussions now,” said Dr Imogen Napper, a marine scientist at Plymouth University’s International Marine Litter research unit. “We have a window of opportunity to make a positive difference, but time is running out.” (A Legally Binding Global Treaty Is Required to Address Space Debris, Experts Say Space the Guardian, n.d.)
Dr Napper, along with the head of a spaceport, Cornwall Melissa Quinn and Dr Kimberley Miner at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, compared this scenario to the situation in the world’s oceans and seas, which has been impacted by plastic pollution, putting marine biodiversity in jeopardy.
“Had an intervention to reduce plastic pollution been launched a decade ago, the number of plastics present in the ocean today could have been cut in half,” Napper and her colleagues write. “The cost of delaying Earth’s orbital protection should not be underestimated.” (A Legally Binding Global Treaty Is Required to Address Space Debris, Experts Say Space The Guardian, n.d.)
On January 4th, 2023, a Russian Cosmos 2499 disintegrated, leaving behind significant debris. NASA has decided to track some 85 pieces at a higher altitude of 1,169 kilometres (about 726.38 mi), but experts from the United States Space Force believe the cause of fragmentation remains unknown.
Thousands of new pieces of space debris are released when two satellites collide. Anti-satellite tests produce debris as well. In 2019, India conducted a low-Earth orbit satellite anti-satellite missile test (LEO). According to the European Space Agency, the LEO is located at altitudes ranging from 160 km (about 99.42 mi) to 1000 km (about twice the length of New York State) above Earth (Scientists Call for Legally Binding Treaty to Protect Earth’s Orbit, n.d.).
Many nations have now urged a legally binding treaty to protect the orbital environment, with manufacturers and users solely responsible for defunct hardware and cleaning up any debris when objects collide.
According to Christopher Newman, a space law and policy professor at North Umbria University, negotiating such a treaty would be difficult. “The difficulty in negotiating a binding treaty on space debris that will endure and make a positive difference is that the very nations that must compromise are geopolitical adversaries,” he explained. (A Legally Binding Global Treaty Is Required to Address Space Debris, Experts Say Space The Guardian, n.d.)
“It looks more likely that countries that wish to take a leadership role in this area will have to try and bring as many others as possible on board. Defining ‘good’ in terms of responsible behaviour would go a long way towards putting humans on a more sustainable path in space. (A Legally Binding Global Treaty Is Required to Address Space Debris, Experts Say Space the Guardian, n.d.)
What Problems does Space Junk lead to?
Most tiny particles in space can cause severe damage. The truth is that orbits in space travel at 15,600 miles (about 25105.77 km) per hour, or ten times the speed of the average bullet shot.
And if two objects collide at such speeds, the impact will be greater.
This means that even pea-sized objects in orbit can become dangerous missiles. A small paint fleck collided with a window on the International Space Station in 2016, gouging a quarter-inch dent into the glass. (Fortunately, the window held). (Live Science, n.d., _What Is Space Junk_)
Space debris also frequently falls to Earth. According to NOAA, on average, 200 to 400 pieces of tracked spaced debris fall on Earth from the Earth’s atmosphere.
How much Junk is there in Space
What are the orbital Positions of Satellite through Images
An Orbit
Geostationary Orbit
A low Earth Orbiting Satellite
Medium Orbiting Satellites
Polar Orbiting Satellites
An Interactive Map of the Nations having Space Junk
How do you clean up the Space then: Remove the Debris Project
A popular project of University of Surrey the remove the debris project is gaining momentum, it was launched in the year 2018 with various partners in the project that includes Airbus, Ariana Group, Swiss Center for Electronics and Micro Technology , Inria Innovative solutions in Space , Surrey Space Center and Stellenbosch University .
It is rather active engaging active debris removal of real space debris.
Most of the experiments conducted were a net experiment, Vision Based Navigation , A Harpoon and a deployable target ,Dragsail.
The combustion of more and more satellites and other space debris (80 tonnes per year at present) falling either naturally or via the new removal methods will also release decomposition products into the atmosphere (Harpoons, Robots and Lasers_ How to Capture Defunct Satellites and Other Space Junk and Bring It Back to Earth, n.d.)
