Synopsis of Content Related to Space Junk
Space junk is mentioned in the report to highlight the growing problem of orbital debris and the need for better international cooperation and regulations to mitigate this issue.
The key points about space junk from the report are:
- Space junk refers to defunct human-made objects in Earth orbit including old satellites, discarded rocket stages, debris from explosions/collisions, etc. It is a form of space pollution.
- Main sources are old satellites, rocket bodies, debris from explosions and collisions. Space junk ranges from entire defunct satellites and rocket stages down to tiny paint flecks or droplets of coolant fluid.
- As of 2022, there are over 30,000 tracked debris objects larger than 10 cm and likely over 1 million objects larger than 1 cm. Smaller untracked debris could number over 100 million.
- Most space junk is concentrated in low Earth orbits below 2000 km, posing a major collision hazard to functioning satellites and spacecraft. Even small debris can cause serious damage.
- Growing space debris increases risk of collisions that generate more debris, potentially making some useful orbits unstable and unusable in the future (Kessler syndrome).
- Mitigation strategies are needed, including preventing release of new debris, tracking/collision avoidance, and developing technologies to remove existing debris. International cooperation is critical to tackle this effectively.
In summary, the report highlights the increasing space junk problem to emphasize the need for better regulations and global collaboration to deal with this growing environmental issue in space that threatens future space activities. Tackling space debris is important for the long-term sustainability and responsible use of Earth’s orbits.
