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Space Waste

Trash isn’t a problem only here on Earth. It can cause big trouble up in space too. 

October 28, 2024
By Talia Cowen

As You Read, Think About: What are some ways space junk could be a threat to people?

In April, a mysterious object the size of a smartphone ripped through the roof of a home in Naples, Florida. Luckily, no one was hurt. 

The object turned out to be an old piece of equipment from the International Space Station (ISS). Astronauts on the giant space laboratory had released it into space three years earlier. In other words, it was space junk. 

You can’t tell by looking at the night sky, but space is littered with trash. The debris includes satellites that no longer work, rocket parts, and even paint chips from old spacecraft. 

The chances of space waste harming us on Earth are quite low. All that junk, however, could cause serious damage up in space.

Piling Up

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In October 1957, a country called the Soviet Union sent the first human-made satellite, named Sputnik 1, into space. The U.S. launched its first satellite a few months later. In 1961, a Soviet spacecraft carried the first astronaut beyond Earth. 

Since then, hundreds more astronauts have traveled into space. And scientists have sent thousands of satellites to orbit, or circle, the planet. Some satellites take pictures of our solar system. Others help scientists predict the weather on Earth. Communications satellites beam TV signals and enable us to make phones calls around the world. 

Satellites and other objects sent to space don’t stay in use forever. Over time, most break apart and burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. Some debris reaches Earth’s surface, like the object that crashed into the home in Florida. But most of what makes it through the atmosphere falls into the ocean. So far, there’s no record of anyone being injured by space junk. 

Some of the waste that’s floating around in space could end up being there for centuries. NASA, the U.S. space agency, estimates that more than 100 million pieces of junk are currently orbiting our planet. 

Crash Course

All that trash can be dangerous. Space junk zips around Earth at speeds of more than 17,000 miles per hour. At such speeds, even a scrap of metal the size of a penny can cause major damage.

“It’s like a really, really fast car that can bump into anything,” says Charity Weeden. She works at NASA. “You can’t control it.”

Space waste is a threat to the thousands of working satellites circling the planet. It’s also a danger for the astronauts living on the ISS. Earlier this year, nine astronauts had to take shelter after an old satellite nearby broke into more than 100 pieces. As more satellites are launched into space, the chances of collisions increase. 

Cleaning Up Space

NASA, the U.S. Space Force, and other space agencies are working to tackle the space waste problem. They use surveillance systems to track the trash. That enables them to react when a piece of debris poses a threat. For instance, about once a year, astronauts have to maneuver the ISS to dodge trash. 

Also, some companies are looking for solutions to get rid of space junk. Weeden calls these companies “trash haulers in space.” For example, a company called Astroscale is working on a giant robotic arm. It would pull trash toward Earth’s atmosphere, where the debris would burn up without doing any harm. 

Weeden says future space missions could be at risk if we don’t act now.

“It’s really important that we get a handle on the amount of space junk up there,” she explains. “If not, it’s going to affect our ability to explore.” 

Tracking Trash

Here are a few of the countless objects that became space junk over the years.

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Get a Grip! 

In June 1965, astronaut Edward H. White II completed the first spacewalk by an American. While he was outside his spacecraft, White lost one of his gloves. It floated in space for about a month before burning up in Earth’s atmosphere. 

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Oldest Junk

In March 1958, the U.S. launched a satellite called Vanguard 1. More than 65 years later, it’s still in space! The satellite is the oldest piece of space junk orbiting Earth.

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Missing Tools 

Last November, two astronauts were making repairs outside the International Space Station when their tool bag floated away. It was an expensive mistake. The bag and tools inside were worth about $100,000! 

1. Based on the article, how did so much debris end up in space?

2. Describe two ways people are trying to tackle the problem of space waste.

3. What is the purpose of the sidebar, “Tracking Trash”?

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