How Do Leaders Deal With Space Debris?

How Do Leaders Deal With Space Debris?

For centuries, stargazers have marveled at complex constellations, glimpses of comets and the steady phases of the moon. But in the 60 years since humankind first breached Earth's atmosphere, the sky has become crowded by something less exciting: space junk.

Currently, at least 25,000 objects — spent rocket boosters, defunct satellites and tiny fragments of various missions — are hurtling around the Earth, some at speeds of five miles per second. Frequently increasing, debris is crashing into other debris, creating still more debris and putting still-functioning equipment in harm's way.

If existing debris isn't cleared to prevent further accumulation, such collisions are likely to grow exponentially. The resulting buildup makes orbiting conditions hazardous, threatens the lives of astronauts and endangers valuable tech and research. Entire orbits could possibly be polluted and made unusable.