Space junk threat to future missions

Fast-moving space junk – which ranges from defunct satellites and rocket stages down to rogue nuts, bolts and flecks of paint – is becoming increasingly problematic for space travel

CUMULATIVE NUMBER OF OBJECTS LAUNCHED INTO SPACE*

World U.S. China Japan Russia India

15,000 14,000 13,000 12,000 11,000 10,000 9,000 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

14,599
7,466
3,661
923
314
138


Space junk travels 24,000km/h (15,000mph) and can easily puncture spacecraft


Sources: Freethink, Forbes, Our World in Data (United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, 2023), LeoLabs. Picture: LeoLabs. *Includes satellites, probes, landers, crewed spacecrafts, and space station flight elements launched into Earth orbit or beyond, 1957-2022 © GRAPHIC NEWS