Yet another Wall Street Journal article about space debris

In summary, The Wall Street Journal has shown a consistent interest in the topic of space debris, including dead satellites and boosters. They have published multiple articles on the topic, including one from 2009 and two from 2011. Their latest article, "There’s a Speeding Mass of Space Junk Orbiting Earth, Smashing Into Things," discusses how the growing amount of debris and tiny satellites is putting important equipment like the Hubble Space Telescope and communication devices at risk. The article is behind a paywall, but the poster is asking for a brief summary from anyone who has access to it. They are also wondering if there has been any new developments in this ongoing problem.
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UsableThought
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The Wall Street Journal is definitely interested in space debris - dead satellites, boosters, etc. - as they've run a number of stories on this topic over the past few years. E.g. Wikipedia has a link to a story from 2009 as one of the footnotes to their article on space debris, plus a web search turns up a couple of articles in the Journal from 2011 - "Fighting Space Junk: The Next Generation" in August and "Can the Pentagon Save Earth from Space Junk" in May of that year.

The Journal's latest is a front page article this morning, "There’s a Speeding Mass of Space Junk Orbiting Earth, Smashing Into Things." Subtitle is, "A growing band of debris and tiny satellites imperils the Hubble Space Telescope and equipment used for phones, national security and weather forecasting." Like all their articles it's behind a pay wall; so I am curious, if anyone here subscribes to the Journal, could you read the article & post a brief summary? No need to quote at length, I am just wondering what the impetus is for a new article - has there been a new development in this ongoing problem and if so what? Thanks.

P.S. Mods, if you feel this thread is in the wrong forum, feel free to move. I am required to add a prefix to the title which seems a bit odd - this is not a B, I, or A thread. It does relate to astronomy & stargazing given that we wouldn't want space junk to take out the Hubble. Or anything else - I was just reading in a book I have on stargazing (Night Sky with the Naked Eye) & saw some photos of astronauts relaxing inside the ISS - I wouldn't want space junk to hit that either.

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Interesting topic! I will follow up + perhaps come back after doing some reading.
UsableThought said:
It does relate to astronomy & stargazing given that we wouldn't want space junk to take out the Hubble. Or anything else - I was just reading in a book I have on stargazing (Night Sky with the Naked Eye) & saw some photos of astronauts relaxing inside the ISS - I wouldn't want space junk to hit that either.
Definitely [stargazing ...], I agree. Also potentially these things could provide "spectacles" or "undesired visitors" if diverted into our atmosphere (kind of artificial meteors or meteorites [the largest ones even hitting the ground] ...) ...
 
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1. What is space debris?

Space debris refers to any man-made objects in Earth's orbit that are no longer functioning. This includes old satellites, rocket parts, and other fragments from space missions.

2. Why is space debris a problem?

Space debris poses a threat to functioning spacecraft and satellites, as collisions with debris can cause damage or even destruction. Additionally, debris can create more debris through collisions, leading to a potentially dangerous chain reaction.

3. How much space debris is currently in orbit?

According to the European Space Agency, there are over 34,000 objects larger than 10cm and millions of smaller pieces of debris in Earth's orbit.

4. What is being done to address the issue of space debris?

Several organizations, including space agencies and private companies, are actively working on solutions to mitigate the amount of space debris. These solutions include removing debris from orbit, designing spacecraft to be more resistant to debris impacts, and implementing regulations for responsible space operations.

5. How does space debris affect future space missions?

Space debris can make it more difficult and risky to launch and operate spacecraft, as it increases the chances of collisions and damage. It also limits the areas of space that can be safely explored, as debris can be concentrated in certain orbits.

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