Space agencies turn focus on small space debris [Space Debris]

摘要

DEFUNCT SATELLITES, broken-up launch rockets, bags of rubbish and even satellites containing human remains for 'space burial' are hurtling above our heads in orbit. All these items are large enough to be tracked from Earth using radar. Nasa estimates that there are 23,000 large objects in low Earth orbit (LEO) although the true figure including untracked objects could be as high as 30,000. The amount of junk in space is at a tipping point, according to a 2011 report by the US National Research Council, which called for international regulation to tackle the situation. The possibility of collisions with debris puts the world's infrastructure and essential activities at risk.