The Growing Threat of Space Debris: What We Need to Know
Space debris has been a growing concern for the last few decades with the number of objects in low-Earth orbit estimated to be in the millions. Now, a new study suggests that our current approach to space debris may not be enough and that we could be facing a dangerous tipping point in the next 100 years. The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, suggests that the amount of debris in orbit is approaching a tipping point where even small amounts of added debris could cause an exponential increase in the amount of debris in orbit. This could lead to a “catastrophic cascade” of debris, making space exploration and satellite operations dangerous and potentially impossible.
source: Phys.org