A growing number of pieces of space junk are orbiting Earth, threatening aviation safety. Scientists predict over 30,000 pieces of debris are in orbit, including some large enough to hit planes with little warning. On average, a piece of space junk falls back down to Earth once every day.
As private space travel increases, so does the risk of collisions between commercial jets and space junk. Aviation experts warn that this risk is on the rise due to the increasing number of flights and launches. The past seven years have seen a significant increase in space rocket launches, from 80 per year to over 140 on average.
According to Ewan Wright at the University of British Columbia, there is a 26% chance of uncontrolled reentry into busy airspaces each year. This could lead authorities to close airspace, causing economic impacts and further safety concerns. Currently, only 35% of launches conduct controlled rocket body reentries, which would greatly reduce risks.
The authors of an open-access journal are calling for space agencies and companies to invest in the return of their space junk once its mission is complete. This could include more controlled returns to Earth or a designated crash site in the ocean. If implemented, commercial airliners could be steered clear of the splash zone, reducing the risk of collisions.
Source: https://jalopnik.com/risk-of-falling-space-junk-hitting-a-plane-is-only-incr-1851753862