Compiled a list of the most dangerous space debris in Earth orbit

As experts note, the removal of the “junk” objects they studied from the low-Earth orbit of our planet

is the most important task in the matter of space exploration. According to scientists, it can be implemented in the coming years.

So, experts have identified four main hazard factors for garbage objects - mass, frequency of meetings, lifetime in orbit and proximity to working satellites.

Scientists have found that 37 of the 50 most dangerous objects have a mass of over 2 tons, and about 80% of this debris is rocket bodies in low Earth orbits.

Now, according to the authors, the global community has a reliable list of 50 objects whose elimination should be a priority. 

The governments of leading space countries shouldmake decisions on joint actions on a planetary scale. We are confident that the beginning of the era of outer space purification is tantamount to the beginning of the era of space exploration. Without this global step, the future of humanity in space is doubtful. 

Vladimir Aslanov, one of the authors of the work, head of the department of theoretical mechanics at Samara University

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