The Growing Danger of Space Debris
Space debris, or orbital debris, includes defunct satellites, spent rocket parts, and smaller fragments from collisions, posing a significant threat to satellites and the (ISS) due to their high-speed travels in low Earth orbit.
Major incidents, such as the 2009 collision of and Cosmos 2251, and the 2007 destruction of the Chinese spacecraft, have significantly contributed to the debris field, with thousands of pieces remaining in orbit for decades.
Efforts and Challenges in Space Debris Mitigation
The aims to nearly eliminate space junk by 2030 through the Zero Debris Charter, while emphasizes the responsibility of all spacefaring nations to address the growing threat.
Despite efforts, the rate of space launches continues to increase, with daily collision warnings highlighting the challenges of managing the debris and preventing a potential , where orbiting debris triggers an uncontrollable chain reaction of collisions.