With space exploration comes space junk. Tens of thousands of proposed satellites could enter orbit if plans come to fruition, where they would join about 27,000 pieces of space debris and increase the risk of collisions. Government and other agencies are looking at debris mitigation. Click through the chart to see the amount of debris left in the wake of some of the biggest satellite breakups.
To read the article, see “Look out below: What will happen to the space debris in orbit?,” October 1, 2021.