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Space TrashSpace trash, or space junk, refers to human-made debris—pieces of satellites, rockets, and other spacecraft—orbiting Earth. Virtually all of the trash is traveling approximately 28,000 kilometers (17,500 miles) per hour, posing a significant threat of damaging active spacecraft and satellites.
The vast majority of the debris is tiny—estimates suggest there are more than 100 million pieces of space trash larger than 1 millimeter (0.039 inches) but smaller than 1 centimeter (0.39 inches), such as flecks of paint that have chipped off a spacecraft. There are also roughly 1 million objects between 1 and 10 centimeters and more than 35,000 items larger than 10 centimeters. Thousands of pieces of space trash fall out of orbit each year, and, while the majority burn up in the atmosphere, some make it to the surface.
As of 2025, there is no international agreement regarding who is responsible for cleaning up space trash, but there is some optimism that the private sector will develop cost-effective solutions to remove space debris.Explore Space Trash
What we've found
Longer-duration space missions may amplify astronaut motion sicknessNASA is using the Kraken, a 50-foot-long, 100-ton US Navy research device, to simulate space motion sickness and vertigo and test possible recovery strategies, including testing out different, specific head movements. The Kraken, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, can rotate participants at exposures of up to 3G. NASA JohnsonNASA uses extreme Earth environments to prepare for space explorationAnalog missions in volcanic terrains and craters mimic Martian and lunar environments. Crew members operating in these missions, including at sites in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and Hawai'i, test suits and specialized space instruments under simulated conditions. The ConversationIn 2018, SpaceX launched a Tesla Roadster into heliocentric orbit for publicityAs of February 2023, the vehicle and its mannequin driver—dubbed "Starman"—have completed three and a quarter revolutions around the sun. One paper estimated that the car has a 22% chance of crashing into Earth within the next 15 million years. CNNSpace-time changes its shape and our perceptions of reality to maintain light's speedTo preserve the speed of light for all observers, the universe sacrifices the uniformity of space and time through the phenomena of time dilation and length contraction. This means that individuals may disagree on measurements of time and space based on their motion or location in a gravitational field. Symmetry MagazineIn 2013, an astronaut's helmet began filling with water during a spacewalkA leak in the cooling system of Luca Parmitano's spacesuit caused water to obscure his vision and silence his radio as the International Space Station entered Earth's shadow, forcing him to feel his way back to the airlock in darkness. NOVA PBS OfficialThe first chess game in space ended in a draw in 1970Soviet cosmonauts Andriyan Nikolayev and Vitaly Sevastyanov played a game of chess against mission control while orbiting Earth aboard Soyuz 9 in 1970. The match ended in a draw—the first recorded game in space. Chess WizzardsWatch how dozens of everyday human tasks are performed in spaceThis playlist features clips of astronauts aboard the International Space Station explaining how they cook, eat, sleep, and conduct research in microgravity. Other activities to pass the time, including watering plants and playing soccer, are also shown. VideoFromSpaceMost elements of the International Space Station were installed over two decadesSpace shuttles delivered storage carriers, docking compartments, airlocks, solar arrays, and labs, which were assembled in low Earth orbit. The station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm, alongside maneuvering spacewalkers, has assisted with this assembly since its installation in 2001. NASASpace probes propelled by lasers may one day visit distant planetary systemsLaunched in 2016, Breakthrough Starshot is a project to send gram-sized spacecraft to the nearest stars and their planets at 10% to 20% the speed of light after being accelerated by ground-based laser systems. The project requires orders of magnitude advancements to current technology. The EconomistThe US space program was built on former Nazi expertise through Operation PaperclipAfter WWII, the US secretly recruited over 1,600 German scientists, including ex-Nazis like Wernher von Braun. They repurposed V‑2 rocket technology to create NASA’s core capabilities—pivotal in the Saturn V and Apollo missions. TED-EdExplore a virtual tour of the Starlab Space StationHilton plans to design much of the interior of the free-flying commercial facility to provide comfort and hospitality during astronauts' in-space living. Starlab will include crew communal areas, wellness spaces, and advanced sleeping quarters. Stories From HiltonThe Polaris Dawn was a privately crewed spaceflightSpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule Resilience spent five days in low Earth orbit as part of the first of three planned missions under the name Polaris Dawn. The historic journey took participants farther away from our planet than anyone has been since the Apollo missions. SpaceXThe Polaris Dawn program led to the first commercial spacewalkAs part of the Polaris Program, this first mission included a crew comprised of astronauts and SpaceX engineers who conducted scientific experiments and cultural outreach, such as raising funds for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Space.comAs of 2022, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and SpaceX are the primary space tourism companiesBlue Origin offers 11-minute suborbital flights for $28M, while Virgin Galactic provides a 90-minute suborbital flight for $450,000. SpaceX offers orbital flights for $55M, including trips to the International Space Station, and plans to offer civilians trips to the moon by 2030. AFAR MediaSpace tourism by the numbersPrivate space tourism agency Space Adventures held a monopoly on space tourism for the industry’s first decade, but everything changed when four more major players entered the stage in the early 2020s. Who are the key players in the space tourism industry, and how many space tourists have there been since the first in 2001? Explore space tourism by the numbers in this article by Space Insider. Space InsiderScientists have proposed using lasers to push space trash into Earth's atmosphereSuch projects would allow most debris to burn up and no longer pose a risk to active satellites, telescopes, and astronauts on space stations. Enacting these plans would require substantial investments from private and governmental space agencies and overcoming international laws that prevent the removal of another country's space equipment. 1440SpaceX successfully caught a rocket booster in mid-airAs part of the fifth test flight of its Starship system, the Super Heavy booster used high-speed navigation systems, grid fins, and Raptor engines to steer itself onto the mechanical arms of a tower called Mechazilla. 1440Deep Space Network sites enable nonstop communication with distant spacecraftEach DSN complex has multiple large, sensitive antennas that can receive weak radio signals from far-off spacecraft and send commands back to them. Their amplifiers are cooled to just above absolute zero to reduce electronic noise. NASASpace trash is making low Earth orbit increasingly dangerous for spacecraftMillions of fragments from satellites, rockets, and other spacecraft that are no longer operational move thousands of meters per second as they circle Earth. Even a piece of debris a centimeter in size can cause mission-ending damage to space stations, telescopes, and astronauts. 1440Play a space junk collection gameDeveloped by Astroscale, a company with a contract from the UK to remove satellites from orbit safely, the game enables players to simulate the company's planned COSMIC mission and test their space debris-catching skills. AstroscaleSpace archaeology studies space trash in the context of heritage and social meaningSome orbiting objects, such as Elon Musk's Tesla, have symbolic or historical importance, despite being functionally worthless. The oldest human-made object in Earth's orbit is Vanguard 1, a grapefruit-sized satellite launched in 1958. The strangest may be an experimental, inflatable space station containing live cockroaches. Ologies with Alie Ward A SpaceX spacecraft's battery debris survived reentry and crashed into a Florida homeAlthough NASA expected the debris to disintegrate after it was jettisoned from the International Space Station in 2024, the flight support component survived reentry. No injuries were reported from the incident. CNNYou are 65,000 times more likely to be struck by lightning than to be hit by space trashIn 2023, about 1,500 pieces of space junk fell to Earth, with most consisting of payload fragmentation debris. The vast majority that falls back to Earth burns up before reaching the surface, making it three times less likely to be struck by space trash than by a meteorite. Deutsche WelleMeet the first living creatures sent to space: dogs, cats, and monkeysBefore humans flew into space, early missions sent animals—including dogs, monkeys, and chimpanzees—into orbit. These experiments tested survival, movement, and task performance in microgravity, providing critical data that made human spaceflight possible. TIMEThe USSR launched the world's first satellite, Sputnik 1, into space in 1957 Sputnik, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, became the world’s first artificial satellite. While the technology itself was limited, the launch ignited the Space Race and signaled that intercontinental missiles and space technology had arrived faster than American leaders expected. American ScientistSee a timeline of the Space RaceThis interactive timeline chronicles the Space Race from its Cold War origins to the Moon landing, highlighting key figures, pivotal moments, and rapid technological advancements. It combines archival photos, video, and links to related material. Royal Observatory GreenwichElon Musk founded SpaceX after being unable to purchase affordable rockets abroadThe company simplified manufacturing and revolutionized space travel by focusing on in-house production and reusability. Their Falcon 9 rocket's ability to land vertically and be partially reused led to 91 successful launches in 2023. 1440The James Webb Space Telescope is rewriting what we know about the early universeThanks to its advanced infrared sensors and massive mirror, the James Webb Space Telescope can see farther back in cosmic history than Hubble, revealing galaxies formed just 500 million years after the Big Bang. 1440Overcoming industry skeptics, SpaceX provides low-cost, high-publicity space flightsFrom recovering and reusing rocket components to launching a mannequin and Tesla into orbit to the tune of David Bowie's "Starman," Elon Musk drove public interest and government contracts to his company as he transformed space launches into spectacles. Space.comSee how SpaceX has impacted costs throughout space flight historyThe cost of one SpaceX launch today is estimated to cost 97% less than the price of a Russian Soyuz rocket in the 1960s, a price reduction providing access to many smaller manufacturers and transforming the industry. Visual CapitalistView the docket of future SpaceX launchesSpaceX has established an efficient schedule for launches of ISS crew shuttles and Starlink satellites, with blastoffs occurring just under once every four days in 2023—a pace that has since accelerated as the company has won more contracts. RocketLaunch.LiveSpace law, explainedIs space destined to be the next Wild West? Since the 1960s, United Nations members have worked together to create a framework of treaties, agreements and accords that set the rules for space exploration. Because space law is made up of several different agreements, it can be difficult to understand exactly how it works. In this video, a legal scholar outlines the evolution of space law from the space race era to current commercial space flight missions. YouTubeIncreasing space tourism may require changing the definition of 'astronaut'Though "astronaut" has been used to describe any crew member in space, civilian explorers who lack formal training have instead been dubbed "space travelers" by some. The term "astronaut" may one day fall out of use or be modified by ongoing media and social perceptions as the space tourism industry continues to evolve. TIMEWhat is space sickness?Mix motion sickness minus gravity with a host of other variables, and you’ve got a recipe for space adaptation syndrome. It can hit anyone, even astronauts who escaped the issue previously. This article details the history and science behind space sickness. National Space CentreDrugs in space: the pharmacy orbiting the EarthResearchers are developing pharmaceutical solutions for astronauts, whose bodies may not respond the same way in space as they would on Earth. Similar to how microgravity causes changes to astronaut physiology, the environmental shift enables new... The Pharmaceutical JournalThe Kármán line is a suggested boundary between Earth and outer spaceBeyond this line, approximately 100 kilometers above Earth's surface, aerodynamic lift is insufficient to keep aircraft aloft without special propulsion systems. The United Nations has historically accepted the line as delineating the boundary of space. Astronomy magazineWho’s in space right now?Hundreds of people (and a few animals) have been to space since the first creatures flew past the Kármán line in 1947. There are a handful of astronauts aboard the International Space Station at any time, while others may be cresting space in... SuperclusterMeet Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space In addition to being the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin was a charismatic propaganda icon and a diplomatic headache for the West. This article examines why his image—and legacy—endured long after he died in 1968. BBC NewsThe Space Launch System: NASA's most powerful rocket everThe Space Launch System is intended to be the most powerful rocket ever built by NASA. Possible missions include returning to the moon and perhaps even reaching Mars. This speculative and mostly silent video uses animation to explore the inner workings of the SLS, showing it launching and in space flight. HazegrayartVisualizing Earth's space garbageAn unsavory byproduct of humanity's brilliant exploration of space, the Moon, and more, is the rapid production of space debris floating around in orbit. Its estimated over 25,000 objects are in orbit, a number that grows everyday as satellites are decommissioned, rockets enter orbit, and more. Now, you can visualize what this debris looks like from a zoomed-out perspective with this brief video. VideoFromSpaceWhat is space-time?Space-time is a complex subject, but this Livescience article makes an effort to disentangle the topic. Somewhat akin to a sheet of rubber that can be warped and bent in parts, space-time is a bit more involved that that. However, the analogy makes this and other aspects of the concept simpler to grasp. Live ScienceHubble Space Image CollectionExplore a developing gallery of images featuring astronomical observations and informative science content around the Hubble Space Telescope mission. Hubble Space TelescopeIn 2022, a piece of Challenger was discovered on the ocean floorWhile searching for World War II wreckage near Cape Canaveral, Florida, for a documentary, divers discovered debris on the seafloor that NASA later confirmed to be a piece of Space Shuttle Challenger wreckage. The piece is at least 15-by-15 feet in size and partially buried under sand. ABC NewsThe Challenger disaster exposed flawed priorities in NASA's leadershipReported issues with the shuttle's O-rings were deemed "acceptable risks" to proceed with the launch and ensure President Reagan could mention the success of Challenger in his State of the Union address. Postponing the launch would have also limited the publicity of educator Christa McAuliffe's live lesson from space. The New York TimesMuted smell and taste in microgravity complicate meal enjoymentAstronauts primarily consume freeze-dried meals, which are rehydrated with water recycled from urine and perspiration, directly from bags. Condiments and select cultural items from crew members can enhance the meal experience by boosting flavor. Many individuals report experiencing "food fatigue" due to a lack of fresh produce, limited menu variety, and lingering scents. Ologies With Alie WardSupermassive black holes create pressure waves, detectable as extremely low soundsSpace is largely silent because it lacks a medium for sound waves. Some Mars rovers capture sounds of wind, though the sounds are too low to hear. Through sonification, astronomical data can be translated into hearable sounds for broader engagement. Live ScienceExplore an interactive visualization of the solar systemThis tool allows you to view the orbits of planets, dwarf planets, moons, asteroids, and other significant objects in the solar system. Clicking on an object reveals key facts and historical data. Gordon HartFalcon 9's first stage is able to land within a 30-foot diameter target consistentlySpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket releases its reusable first stage hundreds of miles above the Earth's surface as it travels thousands of mile per hour. The stage often then lands on an autonomous ocean drone in the middle of the sea. Art of EngineeringThe reusability of Falcon 9's first stage rocket has slashed launch costsUnlike older rockets left to sink in the ocean, the first stage was designed to steer itself back for a controlled landing on a sea-based barge. Refurbishment of these components are half the cost of building new. CosmosThe Columbia disaster exposed fatal flaws in NASA’s shuttle programOn Feb. 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart during reentry, killing all seven astronauts aboard. The tragedy revealed long-ignored safety warnings, leading NASA to ground the shuttle fleet and overhaul its safety culture. CBS News
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