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Accu report shows that thousands of non-operational objects remain in orbit, while space agencies study ways to reduce risks for satellites, missions, and services that depend on space infrastructure.
Almost half of the cataloged objects in orbit around the Earth fall into categories associated with space debris, according to a report by the British engineering company Accu.
The survey indicates that fragments of satellites, rocket stages, and other debris continue to accumulate in orbit, while the removal of these materials still occurs in a limited manner.
The analysis was conducted with data from Space-Track, a database maintained from U.S. space surveillance, and reported by Popular Science magazine in May 2026.
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According to the report, there are 12,550 tracked orbital debris fragments circulating without operational function.
The total represents about 47% of the 33,269 objects monitored in space by the database used in the survey.
Among the monitored objects, the report also lists 17,682 payloads, a category that includes satellites, as well as 2,396 rocket bodies and 641 items still without defined classification.
Some of these satellites remain in operation, but already inactive equipment also continues in Earth’s orbit, which can increase the proportion of objects without control or defined use.
High-speed space debris increases risk in orbit
The risk associated with space debris does not depend solely on the size of the objects.
In low orbit, fragments can move at speeds close to 28,000 kilometers per hour, according to data cited in the survey.
Under these conditions, even small particles can hit satellites, space stations, and scientific instruments with enough energy to cause significant damage.
A case cited by Popular Science occurred in 2016, when a very small fragment hit one of the windows of the observation dome of the International Space Station.
The impact left a mark of about a quarter of an inch, a measurement equivalent to approximately 6 millimeters.
According to Accu’s count, there are currently seven tracked debris fragments for every ten satellites in orbit.
This comparison considers only debris and payloads, excluding rocket bodies and objects still unidentified, but indicates the growing presence of non-operational materials in regions used by satellites.
The European Space Agency, ESA, also monitors this scenario.
In its latest data on space debris, the agency reports that there are thousands of cataloged artificial objects in orbit and a much larger amount of small fragments estimated by statistical models.
Since not all debris can be tracked, the official numbers represent only the detectable part of the problem.
Mass of space objects exceeds 16,000 tons
The Accu report estimates the mass of space debris above Earth at about 15,550 tons, a value compared by Popular Science to the approximate weight of 40 jumbo jets.
The ESA, on the other hand, reports that the total mass of space objects in Earth’s orbit exceeds 16,200 tons, considering a broader set of artificial structures in space.
The difference between the numbers arises from the scope adopted by each source.
Accu deals with tracked space debris in its analysis, while ESA presents general data on artificial objects in orbit.
Even with different methodologies, the surveys indicate an increase in the amount of materials around the planet.
According to ESA, since the beginning of the space age in 1957, tens of thousands of satellites and associated objects have been sent into space.
Many remain in orbit even after the end of their useful life, while others have fragmented over time due to collisions, explosions, or structural failures.
The European agency also records more than 660 fragmentation events, a category that includes breakups, collisions, explosions, or anomalies capable of generating new debris.
Each such episode can produce a large number of fragments, which remain in circulation for varying periods, depending on altitude and orbital dynamics.
China, United States, and CIS concentrate orbital debris
The distribution of tracked orbital debris does not occur uniformly among space actors.
According to Accu, China, the United States, and the Commonwealth of Independent States concentrate the majority of the 12,550 fragments identified in the report.
The survey attributes about 34% of the monitored debris to China.
The United States and CIS follow, with approximately 31% each.
In China’s case, Accu relates part of this share to the anti-satellite test conducted in 2007, an episode frequently cited by experts as one of the events that generated the most fragments in Earth’s orbit.
The portion attributed to the United States combines decades of launches with specific events recorded in space history.
Among them is the 2009 collision between the inactive Russian satellite Kosmos 2251 and the operational satellite Iridium 33, an episode that produced thousands of fragments.
In the case of the ISS, the report relates the numbers to the accumulated space activity since the Soviet period and the subsequent operations of successor countries.
As many objects remain in orbit for long intervals, the effects of old launches are still present in current statistics.
Atmospheric reentry can leave residues
Some of the abandoned objects lose altitude over time and reenter Earth’s atmosphere.
This process, however, can take years or decades, depending on the orbit, mass, area of the object, and atmospheric resistance.
In many cases, the material disintegrates before reaching the ground.
Destruction during reentry does not necessarily eliminate all environmental impacts.
According to the Accu report, materials such as aluminum, copper, and lithium can vaporize and remain in the upper atmosphere as fine particles.
Researchers study how these residues interact with atmospheric chemistry.
ESA also monitors reentries of space objects and reports that satellites, rocket stages, and other materials frequently return to the atmosphere.
Although most events do not result in damage on the ground, the increasing number of satellites and structures launched into space heightens the need for technical monitoring.
Recent studies cited by specialized outlets indicate that instruments such as LiDAR, a laser remote sensing system, can help identify materials released during reentries.
Researchers state that more data is still needed to measure the effects of these residues on the upper atmosphere, including possible impacts on the ozone layer.
Space debris removal still depends on technology
The removal of debris in orbit remains in the technological development phase.
Among the ongoing initiatives is the ClearSpace-1 mission by ESA, planned to demonstrate the active removal of an uncontrolled space object.
According to the European agency, the mission aims to capture the Proba-1 satellite, launched in 2001, and guide it to a safe atmospheric reentry.
The launch is planned for 2029, with industrial leadership by OHB SE and participation from the Swiss company ClearSpace.
ESA reports that ClearSpace-1 will use four robotic arms to capture the target, a satellite weighing approximately 95 kilograms.
The stated objective is to test technologies that can be applied in future operations to remove abandoned objects in orbit.
Other solutions are also being studied by companies and space agencies, including drag sails, capture systems, robotic arms, and orbital inspection mechanisms.
So far, however, there is no large-scale operation capable of removing the amount of debris already accumulated around the Earth.
Space safety experts point out that managing orbital debris depends on combined measures.
In addition to the removal of old objects, this set includes planning re-entries at the end of satellites’ useful life, reducing fragmentations, sharing tracking data, and adopting common rules among countries and companies.
Since satellites are used in communication, navigation, weather forecasting, agriculture, environmental monitoring, and emergency services, the presence of debris in orbit affects areas beyond scientific exploration.
The management of this material has become part of discussions about space infrastructure, operational safety, and responsibility among operators.
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