Space debris is making Earth’s orbit a danger zone
- Posted on July 20, 2026
- By Washington Post
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- 1 min read
The accumulation of defunct satellites, spent rocket stages, and collision fragments in Earth's orbit poses unprecedented threats to active spacecraft and missions. As space traffic intensifies, the risk of cascading collisions—known as Kessler Syndrome—escalates dramatically. This growing hazard endangers not only operational satellites critical for communications and navigation but also threatens potential re-entry debris that could impact populated areas on Earth's surface.
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