Queensland Fire Department
Space debris in Australia
This past summer, six mysterious metal balls washed up on a beach in Australia. The orbs were twice the size of basketballs. Where did they come from? Outer space!
The Australian Space Agency determined that the balls were likely old fuel containers from a rocket—in other words, space junk.
Since the late 1950s, humans have launched thousands of satellites into space. Some of those objects fall back toward Earth when they stop working. Many burn up as they reenter the atmosphere. Others land in the ocean, like the orbs. But most waste stays in orbit.
Today there are more than 100 million pieces of debris in space. The buildup has scientists worried. Space junk can damage working satellites and disrupt space missions. The debris zooms around Earth at 17,500 miles per hour, so even a tiny piece can have a big impact. And when the junk hits another object, it smashes into even more pieces.
What can be done? Scientists track the larger junk so they can move active satellites out of its way. Companies are also developing fixes, like robotic arms to catch old satellites and reusable rockets to create less waste.
Part of the solution also needs to be reducing how many objects are sent to space, says John Crassidis, an aerospace professor from the University at Buffalo in New York. “We have to slow down the growth,” he explains.
—Lisa M. Herrington