Space - Spacex, NASA, Rocket Lab
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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.
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…
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Are we supposed to see something in that video - or are my eyes completely stuffed
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@Victor-Meldrew said in Space - Spacex, NASA, Rocket Lab:
Are we supposed to see something in that video - or are my eyes completely stuffed
I couldn't see anything in the video either. The story was pretty cool though
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@dogmeat said in Space - Spacex, NASA, Rocket Lab:
🚀 The Kessler Syndrome is a feared cascade scenario where collisions create more debris, triggering an unstoppable chain reaction.
thats a fascinating idea, i wonder how likely it is
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@antipodean said in Space - Spacex, NASA, Rocket Lab:
Science fiction coming to life:
Where do you insert the warp core
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US military taps Rocket Lab’s new Neutron launcher for ‘point to point’ cargo test flight in 2026
"This opportunity for the U.S. Air Force not only helps to advance space logistics, it also demonstrates a high degree of confidence by the DOD in Neutron’s capabilities."
