i read somewhere… okay fine it was in the kids’ science section of DAWN… that there were about “5,130 pounds” of debris left behind by Apollo II in 1969. So far, according to them, we’ve “junked” more than 37,000 pounds of debris - all happily floating in orbit, i assume. However i think those are actually low figures, because i just did a quick google search and i saw figures higher than that. This is how a NASA page categorizes their orbital debris:
More than 11,000 objects larger than 10 cm are known to exist. The estimated population of particles between 1 and 10 cm in diameter is greater than 100,000. The number of particles smaller than 1 cm probably exceeds tens of millions. http://sn-callisto.jsc.nasa.gov/faq/faq.html
As of yet it’s not causing any significant harm up there [except for satellites having to dodge some of the larger chunks of junk but apparently according to NASA the chances of something hitting the debris is slim, though not improbable], but - the attitude behind the pollution is a bit more disturbing. Most of the debris are apparently caused from satellite explosions.
i’m just wondering… is this debris just going to stay there forever? Every time we send a satellite or a rocket, does the debris just accumulate? Will it just float in orbit forever? Could some of it be salvageable or recyclable? Would it justify the expenses incurred in doing that or is it environmentally and financially more prudent to leave all that junk up there forever - for future generations to deal with?