What Happened
Rising Rocket Launches Increase Risk Of Falling Debris
According to Mariusz Slonina, who heads space situational awareness operations for the Polish Space Agency, around one metric ton of space debris re-enters Earth’s atmosphere every week. The rise in rocket launches and satellite deployments has increased the amount of debris returning to Earth, with over 300 rockets launched last year and thousands of satellites currently in orbit. Experts warn of growing risks as the number of objects in orbit continues to grow, and urge governments and companies to use materials that fully disintegrate during re-entry. This report was first published by NDTV, citing The New York Times.