Space debris populations seen from outside geosynchronous orbit.

The "energy flash" of a hypervelocity impact during a simulation of what happens when a piece of orbital debris hits a spacecraft in orbit.

Spatial density of space debris by altitude according to ESA MASTER-2001.

Find best prices and huge selection of cheap kids toys and games online, educational toys, outdoor toys, character toys, electronic toys and much more.

Over 1000 Pieces

Space debris or orbital debris, also called space junk and space waste, are the objects in orbit around Earth created by humans, that no longer serve any useful purpose. more...

Home

Action Figures

Beanies

Construction Toys & Kits

Diecast & Vehicles

Toys & Games

Creative Toys/ Activities

Educational Toys

Electronic Pets

Fast Food/ Cereal/ Sweets...

Games

Jigsaws

Su Doku

Outdoor Toys & Activities

Pre-School/ Young Children

Radio-Controlled Toys

Scalextric & Slot Car

Soft Toys/ Stuffed Animals

Steam

Toy Soldiers

Toys Model Kits

TV & Film Character Toys

Vintage/ Classic Toys

Wargames & Role-Playing

They consist of everything from entire spent rocket stages and defunct satellites to explosion fragments, paint flakes, dust, and slag from solid rocket motors, coolant released by RORSAT nuclear powered satellites, deliberate insertion of small needles, and other small particles. Clouds of very small particles may cause erosive damage, like sandblasting.

Space debris has become a growing concern in recent years, since collisions at orbital velocities can be highly damaging to functioning satellites and can also produce even more space debris in the process, called Kessler Syndrome. Some spacecraft, like the International Space Station, are now armored to mitigate damage with this hazard. Astronauts on EVAs are also vulnerable.

History

In 1958, the United States launched a satellite named Vanguard I. It became one of the longest surviving pieces of space junk, and remained the oldest piece still in orbit through at least August 2007.

According to Edward Tufte's book Envisioning Information, space debris objects have included a glove lost by astronaut Ed White on the first American space-walk, a camera Michael Collins lost near the spacecraft Gemini 10, garbage bags jettisoned by the Soviet Mir Cosmonauts throughout that space station's 15-year life, a wrench and a toothbrush. Sunita Williams of STS-116 also lost a camera during extra-vehicular activity (EVA). During the EVA to reinforce a torn solar panel during STS-120 a pair of pliers was similarly liberated. Most of those unusual objects have re-entered the atmosphere of the Earth within weeks due to the orbits where they were released and their small sizes. Things like these are not major contributors to the space debris environment. On the other side, explosion events are a major contribution to the space debris problem. About 100 tons of fragments generated during approximately 200 such events are still in orbit. Space debris is most concentrated in low Earth orbit, though some extends out past geosynchronous orbit.

The first official Space Shuttle collision avoidance maneuver was during STS-48 in September 1991. A 7-second reaction control system burn was performed to avoid debris from the Cosmos satellite 955.

In 2006, wreckage from a Russian spy satellite passed dangerously close to a Latin American Airbus carrying 270 passengers, reentering over the Pacific Ocean which is considered among the safest places in the world to bring down satellites due to its unpopulated vastness. The worst uncontrolled reentry in history occurred in July 1979, when Skylab, America's abandoned, 78-ton space station - which had long since run out of maneuvering fuel - came down earlier than planned, raining debris across the Australian outback.