Space Junk Problem Got Much Worse in 2024, European Agency Warns

The problem posed by human-made junk in space worsened significantly in 2024, according to a new report by the European Space Agency.

The report follows a Chinese launch last August that raised alarms worldwide after a Long March 6A rocket exploded and created one of the biggest sources of space junk in decades.

Pieces of old rockets, satellites or other spacecraft create collision risks for satellite operators such as SpaceX’s Starlink and Eutelsat Communications’ OneWeb that provide internet connections from low-Earth orbit.

Space debris surrounding Earth

Source: ESA

The number of such objects tracked by space surveillance networks increased about 8% last ...