Dots representing tracked bits of space junk encircle the planet. Most of these objects are concentrated in low Earth orbit — the region of space within 1,200 miles of the Earth's surface. - NASA ODPO ...

In late 2025, scientists reported that for the first time, they were able to detect concentrations of plastic pollution on ...

Earthquake sensors can detect sonic booms generated by reentering space debris to help track the potentially dangerous ...

In recent years, the rising congestion in Earth’s orbit has become one of the most pressing challenges facing space-faring nations. Thousands of inactive satellites, rocket fragments, and ...

A large cloud of tiny fragments revolves around Earth following satellite explosions, rocket stage malfunctions, and anti-satellite missile testing. These fragments—some as small as grains of ...

A computer generated image of objects in Earth orbit that are currently being tracked. Approximately 95% of the objects in this illustration are orbital debris, i.e., not functional satellites. The ...

Tiny chunks of space debris are believed to have struck the return vehicle of a Chinese crew of astronauts who were due to return to Earth following a mission at the nation's Tiangong space station.

Sometimes, what goes up doesn’t come back down — instead, it becomes a problem. Junk is accumulating in space at a fantastic pace, millions of pieces orbit the Earth, from broken satellites to lost ...