Space debris, or “space junk,” consists of human-made objects left behind in space — dead satellites or a broken pieces of spacecraft, for example. As of January 2022, space debris totaled an estimated 9,000 metric tons, most originating from satellite explosions and collisions. Space junk poses a danger to spacecraft in orbit as well as the environment on Earth. As increased numbers of satellites go into orbit in the future, solutions to this problem are needed. Learn about the space debris problem and what and companies and governments are doing about it in Matt Segarra’s animated explainer.
Matt Segarra is a student in the Reynolds School of Journalism. This story was produced as part of the RSJ’s motion graphics class during spring 2024, taught by Luka Starmer.
