Why Space Junk Needs to be Taken Seriously
3 m Liquid Mirror Telescope (photo: NASA)
There’s a lot of junk floating around in space, everything from old leftover rocket boosters to penny-sized fragments. Then there’s the millions of tiny particles that are too small to be detected, traveling at high speeds through space. Junk in space isn’t a new problem but a just-published report by the National Research Council suggests it’s time to take it seriously and figure out how to clean it up. Marco Werman speaks with Donald Kessler, the retired senior scientist for NASA’s orbital debris program and a lead author of the new report.
Also, be sure to check out this week’s edition of The World’s Technology Podcast, which has more information on this topic.
The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!