Library > Science & Technology > Astronomy > Space Exploration

Satellites & Space Debris

1998
Space "junk" presents several potential problems to space travelers. Since humans first started exploring space, we have left behind an estimated 120,000 objects. Some of these are large enough to detect with radar and avoid. But the majority of this debris is small--the size of a BB pellet--and hard to detect. Find out what's being done about this trash dilemma and how big a problem it really is.