A mysterious piece of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket debris crashed into a Polish warehouse on February 19, 2025, sparking concerns about space junk and its potential impact on the planet. While the chances of being struck by space debris are minuscule, experts warn that the growing number of launches and climate change could lead to more frequent collisions.
According to calculations, the odds of being hit by space debris are closer to one in 10,000, but the risks are rising. Climate change is affecting the lower atmosphere, causing objects to experience less drag and stay up longer, leading to more re-entries. This phenomenon, known as “Kessler syndrome,” could render entire orbits unusable if pieces of debris crash into each other.
To address this issue, some space agencies and private companies are designing their crafts to ablate upon re-entry, breaking apart and burning up in the atmosphere. However, the optimal design is difficult to predict due to Earth’s changing atmospheric composition. Managed re-entry, where large pieces are guided to a predetermined location, is also being explored.
The European Space Agency plans to launch its first clean-up mission, ClearSpace-1, in 2028. Ground-based emergency management is also being developed, with some US states drafting response plans for falling space debris. As the number of launches increases and climate change intensifies, humanity must find ways to prevent re-entries from becoming casualties and ensure safe access to outer space.
Source: https://www.salon.com/2025/04/12/the-new-space-race-is-raining-more-garbage-from-the-sky-were-not-doing-enough-to-stop-it