All Human-Made Orbital Hardware in One Image

57% of the total mass of all human-made objects in Earth's orbit consists of defunct or inactive objects.

The Data:

According to NASA’s Orbital Debris Program Office, there are over 8,800 metric tonnes of defunct satellites, spent rocket stages, broken components, and collision fragments in orbit. Only ~43% of objects are actively used for communication, navigation, scientific missions, or military surveillance.

This debris orbits at up to 28,000 km/h, posing a major threat to spacecraft, satellites, and the International Space Station.

Related Facts:

💸 To get all this mass to orbit in the modern day, even with SpaceX's extremely low cost of $2,700/kg, would cost over $37 billion.

🛰️ As of 2024, there are ~36,500 tracked objects in orbit larger than 10 cm, and millions of smaller untracked fragments.

🚀 The Kessler Syndrome is a feared cascade scenario where collisions create more debris, triggering an unstoppable chain reaction.

🛡️ The ISS regularly performs debris avoidance maneuvers to prevent catastrophic impacts.

🧹 Active cleanup missions are in development, including magnetized tethers, robotic arms, nets, and laser systems.

🌐 The U.S., China, Russia, and private companies like SpaceX are the largest contributors to orbital hardware.

📡 The growing space economy makes orbital debris one of the most pressing 21st-century environmental issues, though it’s invisible to most people.