Space debris facts for kids

Space debris around Earth from a top-down view. The cloud of objects in the center are objects in orbit low around Earth, and the ring on the edge is objects in geostationary orbit.

Space debris is the collection of useless objects that are in orbit around Earth, like broken satellites, empty rockets, pieces of metal, and many more. Because of how much space debris there is, collisions happen between space debris and sometimes even operational spacecraft, creating more debris.

Since the start of space programs and the launch of Sputnik 1, NORAD has an active list of all known space launches and objects that are in Earth orbit, including waste parts like booster rockets. This is the Space Object Catalog.

Related pages

• Kessler Syndrome

Images for kids

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  A computer-generated image representing the locations, but not relative sizes, of space debris as could be seen from high Earth orbit. The two main debris fields are the ring of objects in geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) and the cloud of objects in low Earth orbit (LEO).

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  Gabbard diagram of almost 300 pieces of debris from the disintegration of the five-month-old third stage of the Chinese Long March 4 booster on 11 March 2000

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  Baker-Nunn cameras were widely used to study space debris.

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  Objects in Earth orbit including fragmentation debris. November 2020 NASA:ODPO

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  Satellite hit by a space debris, animation by ESA

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  Vanguard 1 is expected to remain in orbit for 240 years.

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  A drifting thermal blanket photographed in 1998 during STS-88.

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  Spent upper stage of a Delta II rocket, photographed by the XSS 10 satellite

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  Known orbit planes of Fengyun-1C debris one month after the weather satellite's disintegration by the Chinese ASAT

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  A micrometeoroid left this crater on the surface of Space Shuttle Challenger's front window on STS-7.

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  Space Shuttle Discovery's lower starboard wing and Thermal Protection System tiles, photographed on STS-114 during an R-Bar Pitch Manoeuvre where astronauts examine the TPS for any damage during ascent

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  Space Shuttle Endeavour had a major impact on its radiator during STS-118. The entry hole is about 5.5 mm (0.22 in), and the exit hole is twice as large.

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  Debris impacts on Mir's solar panels degraded their performance. The damage is most noticeable on the panel on the right, which is facing the camera with a high degree of contrast. Extensive damage to the smaller panel below is due to impact with a Progress spacecraft.

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  Saudi officials inspect a crashed PAM-D module in January 2001.

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  The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) is an important source of information on small-particle space debris.

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  Spatial density of LEO space debris by altitude, according to 2011 a NASA report to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

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  Spatial density of space debris by altitude according to ESA MASTER-2001, without debris from the Chinese ASAT and 2009 collision events

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  A piece of a thermal blanket that may have come from the descent stage of the Perseverance

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  Perseverance's backshell sitting upright on the surface of Jezero Crater

See also

In Spanish: Basura espacial para niños