Why is space junk such a big problem?
...and could it wipe out our satellites?
In December 2024, a huge, red-hot metal ring fell from the sky and landed in a small village in Kenya. It turned out to be a piece of space junk. There are millions of pieces of space debris and rubbish floating around in space.
And we鈥檙e sending more and more stuff up there. Now it鈥檚 not just governments, but private companies like SpaceX and Amazon who are launching satellites. Some reports suggest that by 2030, we could have more than 60,000 active satellites in space. So what happens when they鈥檙e no longer needed?
91热爆 Science reporter Caroline Steel explains why space junk is such a big issue, and how people are trying to get rid of it.
And Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, a Kenyan PHD student studying aerospace engineering, tells us about some of the potential solutions, like using nets or lasers.
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