These numbers arelikely to be underestimates.
With more satellites and rockets launching each year, collisions with space junk are becoming more likely.
Losing a satellite could mean your TV reception is poor or the weather forecast is a bit less reliable.
This is calledGeostationary Earth Orbit(GEO).
Satellites here are stationary above a single point on Earth, making them useful for weather forecasting and communications.
The International Space Station floats in orbit around Earth.
Could a similar structure be designed to house a space junk recycling facility?
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Eventually the entire orbit could become so full of debris its unusable.
A lot of debris already litters LEO, but technology is beingdeveloped and tested to remove it.
The situation is more tricky for GEO, though.
Recycling in space
The graveyard orbit is effectively anabandoned junkyardwith no caretaker.
The law currently isnt on the side of a collective solution to space junk.
Its the equivalent of building a home in the UK from local materials rather than importing bricks from Australia.
From there whole satellites could be taken byspace dronesinto the floating recycling centre for a tune-up if needed.
A computer-generated image of satellites in GEO and LEO, excluding the debris which vastly outnumbers satellites.
Some of the most advanced cameras ever built are in space.
These could be refitted onto Gateway Earth or new satellites to scan spacefor asteroidsthat could collide with Earth.
We need a space equivalent for the plastics wake-up call that people heard fromBlue Planet 2.
There is still time, but plans for cleaning up Earths orbit need to be acted on now.
Over the next ten years,150 new GEO satellitesare planned which will increase the risk of collision significantly.
