The growing threat of space debris: How a minefield of orbiting debris is threatening our future

In June 2022a near collision between a Soviet rocket and an American booster brought the problem of the space debris. These two wreckages, once symbols of the Cold War, floated in Earth’s orbit at impressive speeds, tens of thousands of kilometers per hour. A possible impact could have generated a potentially lethal cloud of debris, putting satellites, space stations and astronauts at risk. This is just one of many incidents that reveal the growing space debris crisis, a problem that is rapidly evolving into an environmental emergency.

With the launch of the first satellite in 1957humanity has begun to use Earth’s orbit as a sort of “space dump”, accumulating debris that today represents an increasingly dangerous threat. At the moment, according to data from the European Space Agency (ESA), more than 170 million fragments orbit around the Earth, and each of them is a potential threat. What makes this phenomenon particularly dangerous is the speed: even the smallest fragments, moving at high speeds, can damage or destroy functioning satellites and, in the worst cases, endanger the lives of astronauts.

Scientists define this situation as a real “time bomb”, since with the increase in the number of satellites the risk of collisions grows exponentially. Second Darren McKnightof the company LeoLabsit is only a matter of time before a major impact occurs. Their radar network monitors around 20,000 objects, but this is not enough, as most fragments are too small to be detected.

The invisible threat: small fragments, big problems

The greatest risks come not from the smallest fragments, but from the large “ghosts” of the past, such as the upper stages of rockets from the 1960s and 1970s. These objects, once symbols of progress, today represent real loose cannons. They continue to wander through space uncontrollably, some for centuries, before finally falling to Earth. The risk is that these objects trigger a chain reaction known as “Kessler syndrome”, a phenomenon that could make low Earth orbit impractical, preventing any future space exploration.

The situation is exacerbated by the growing amount of satellites in orbit, driven by demand for services such as those offered by Starlink SpaceXwhich aims to provide global connectivity via an extensive satellite network. With tens of thousands of satellites expected in the coming years, collisions are becoming difficult to avoid. In 2024 alone, Starlink recorded approximately 50,000 impact avoidance maneuvers. This high number of maneuvers reflects both the density of objects and the increasing reliance on automated systems to prevent collisions.

How to Clean Up Space?

The crucial question is how to deal with the immense problem of space debris. According to experts, the first step is international cooperation. As Ian Christensen, director of the Secure World Foundationthe biggest problem is convincing the United States, Russia and China — responsible for 90% of hazardous debris — to remove their debris.

The basic strategy to address the problem is prevention: designing missions and satellites to reduce debris generation in the future. Agencies like NASA and ESA have adopted strict rules, requiring satellite operators to remove vehicles from space at the end of their useful life, re-entering the atmosphere or transferring them to “graveyard” orbits, far from the main orbital trajectories.

In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a rule in 2022 requiring operators to deorbit decommissioned satellites within five years of the end of their mission, greatly reducing the previous deadline of twenty-five years. However, this rule only applies to new launches, leaving the problem of millions of fragments and inactive satellites still in orbit.

Technological solutions

In an effort to address the space debris crisis, the United States government has promoted theORBITS Acta bill that provides $150 million in funding for the development of technologies for active debris removal. If passed, the act would incentivize research and pilot missions to eliminate the most dangerous objects, such as disabled satellites and rocket stages.

Other nations are also developing innovative technologies to address the problem. In 2024, the Japanese company Astroscale signed an $80 million contract with the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) to remove an H-IIA rocket via a satellite equipped with a robotic arm. Astroscale it has already demonstrated its technology, coming within 50 meters of the H-IIA rocket in 2014, and hopes to launch a fleet of “space garbage collectors” capable of grabbing onto debris and guiding it towards atmospheric destruction.

In Europe, theESA is involved in the project ClearSpace-1scheduled for 2026. The mission goal is to capture large debris with a multi-armed robot, removing it from low-Earth orbit. Some researchers are also exploring using ground-based lasers to deflect smaller debris, lowering its orbit and causing it to burn up safely in the atmosphere. Other studies propose techniques such as nets and harpoons to capture larger fragments.

As the space economy expands, expected to surpass $1 trillion by 2040, pressure is growing to find effective solutions to the space debris problem. The consequences of a major collision could destroy entire communications networks and put astronauts’ lives at risk. With thousands of new satellites set to be launched in the coming years, space is becoming increasingly crowded and the margin of safety is narrowing dramatically.