Space - Spacex, NASA, Rocket Lab

dogmeat

@Kruse you'd be fine as long as there were very regular 'resupplies'

dogmeat

According to NASA’s Orbital Debris Program Office, there are over 8,800 metric tonnes of defunct satellites, spent rocket stages, broken components, and collision fragments in orbit. Only ~43% of objects are actively used for communication, navigation, scientific missions, or military surveillance.

This debris orbits at up to 28,000 km/h, posing a major threat to spacecraft, satellites, and the International Space Station.

Related Facts:
💸 To get all this mass to orbit in the modern day, even with SpaceX's extremely low cost of $2,700/kg, would cost over $37 billion.

🛰️ As of 2024, there are ~36,500 tracked objects in orbit larger than 10 cm, and millions of smaller untracked fragments.

🚀 The Kessler Syndrome is a feared cascade scenario where collisions create more debris, triggering an unstoppable chain reaction.

🛡️ The ISS regularly performs debris avoidance maneuvers to prevent catastrophic impacts.

🧹 Active cleanup missions are in development, including magnetized tethers, robotic arms, nets, and laser systems.

🌐 The U.S., China, Russia, and private companies like SpaceX are the largest contributors to orbital hardware.

📡 The growing space economy makes orbital debris one of the most pressing 21st-century environmental issues, though it’s invisible to most people.

Harrison Schell

All Human-Made Orbital Hardware in One Image

57% of the total mass of all human-made objects in Earth's orbit consists of defunct or inactive objects. The Data: According to NASA’s Orbital Debris…