Collisions in space are not uncommon. Since 1957, over 650 events, including explosions, collisions, and weapons tests, have created debris. A 2009 collision between a defunct Russian satellite and an active US communications satellite generated thousands of pieces of debris. Even small fragments pose a danger because of the high speeds at which objects travel in orbit.
“The number of objects in space that we have launched in the last four years has increased exponentially,” Dr. Vishnu Reddy, a professor of planetary sciences at the University of Arizona in Tucson, told the CNN. “So we are heading towards the situation that we are always dreading.”
This “situation” refers to the Kessler Syndrome, a theoretical chain reaction where one collision creates more debris, leading to further collisions until Earth’s orbit becomes unusable. While experts debate the likelihood of this scenario, they agree that space congestion is a serious problem.
All about Kessler’s Syndrome
Kessler’s Syndrome refers to the idea that a chain reaction of exploding space debris could create so much space junk in the Low Earth Orbit that we would be trapped on Earth. Space junks could collide with other junks creating more such space junks. Consequently, humans could not send satellites because they would be broken up during collisions.The most congested area is low-Earth orbit, home to the ISS, thousands of satellites, and the majority of space debris. While atmospheric drag naturally removes debris at lower altitudes, debris at higher altitudes can remain for centuries or even millennia, threatening vital communication satellites.Also, tracking objects larger than a tennis ball is possible, but millions of smaller, untrackable pieces also pose a threat. Predicting collisions is difficult because even small variations in space weather can affect trajectories.
Innovations like the European Space Agency‘s Drag Augmentation Deorbiting Subsystem (ADEO) aim to remove debris from orbit by increasing drag, causing objects to descend and burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. While promising, these methods are still experimental and costly, raising questions about funding and responsibility.
The United Nations has initiated discussions on creating frameworks for managing space traffic and debris, but enforcement remains a challenge. National laws and industry-led guidelines may offer more practical solutions. Many believe the United States should take a leading role in establishing global norms for space operations.
Dr. Nilton Renno of the University of Michigan likens the situation to pollution on Earth. “We used to think the oceans were infinite, but now we know better. The same is true for space,” Renno told the CNN.