![]() ![]() Fragmentation events describe moments in which debris is created due to collisions, explosions, electrical problems and even just the detachment of objects due to the harsh conditions in space.Īttempts are being made to follow the rules (not yet enough) On average over the last two decades, 12 accidental "fragmentations" have occured in space every year-and this trend is unfortunately increasing. Credit: European Space Agencyĭebris-creating events have become more common In parallel, regulators need to monitor the status of space systems as well as global adherence to debris mitigation under their jurisdiction more closely".Ĩ0% of rockets launched now attempt to ‘clear’ low-Earth orbit - the vast majority of which do so successfully - up from just over 20% at the beginning of the millennium. "In view of the constant increase in space-traffic, we need to develop and provide technologies to make debris prevention measures fail-safe, and ESA is doing just that through its Space Safety Program. ![]() Trends towards end-of-mission disposal are improving, but at a slow pace," explains Holger Krag, Head of the Space Safety Program. Despite measures being in place for years to prevent this, we see no decline in the number of such events. "The biggest contributor to the current space debris problem is explosions in orbit, caused by left-over energy-fuel and batteries-onboard spacecraft and rockets. Since then, numbers have continued to increase and explosions and collisions in space have created hundreds of thousands of shards of dangerous debris. ![]() Initially, there was no plan for what to do with them at the end of their lives. Since the beginning of the space age in 1957, tons of rockets, spacecraft and instruments have been launched to space. ESA's Space Debris Office constantly monitors this ever-evolving debris situation, and every year publishes a report on the current state of the debris environment. ![]()
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