Space Junk & the Future of Environmental Sustainability
- Yuna Lee
- Jul 26
- 3 min read
You probably don't think much about what's happening 200 miles above your head, but trust me—you should. While we're all focused on plastic pollution in our oceans and carbon emissions warming our planet, there's an environmental disaster looming in space that could seriously mess up life as we know it.
Space junk, defined as “unwanted objects or material left in space by human activity” by Cambridge Dictionary, is accumulating at alarming rates ("Space Junk"). From dysfunct satellites to abandoned rocket stages, this cosmic garbage dump that lingers around Earth’s atmosphere can post significant environmental threats that extend far beyond space exploration.
There’s A LOT of Junk Up There
Scientists are currently monitoring about 29,210 pieces of space junk, but that's just what they can see. The real numbers are terrifying: 34,000 objects bigger than a softball, 900,000 marble-to-softball-sized pieces, and 128 million smaller fragments all whizzing around Earth at deadly speeds, totaling about 700 metric tons of orbital garbage (Boyle).
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Here's where things get scary for those of us stuck down here on Earth. Every year, 80 tons of space debris crash into our atmosphere (Henderson). You might think that this is, "no big deal," and question that "it just burns up harmlessly, right?" Wrong.
When space trash burns up, it doesn't magically disappear. It dumps highly toxic metals and ozone-depleting chemicals into our atmosphere—creating a brand new type of environmental problem that scientists are scrambling to understand.
But some space junk doesn't burn up at all. Instead, it crashes into populated areas and poisons everything around it. Take what's happening in Siberia, where Russian rocket debris has been raining down on the Altai region for years. These aren't harmless metal chunks—they're fuel tanks filled with unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH), a carcinogen that poses serious health risks. In 2007, 27 people were hospitalized with cancer-related complications that many blame on this toxic space trash (Boyle).
The space industry is finally waking up to this crisis. The first major debris removal project launches in 2025, and several game-changing technologies are in development. ESA is preparing debris removal missions with specialized cleanup satellites. NASA is prioritizing ground-based laser systems that can nudge dangerous debris out of orbit. Most importantly, ESA has adopted a "Zero Debris approach" aiming to drastically limit new debris production by 2030.
What You Can Do Right Now
This isn't just a space problem—it's an environmental crisis affecting everyone on Earth. Here's how you can help:
Demand accountability. Contact your nation’s representatives to support international space debris regulations and cleanup funding. The technology exists, but we need political pressure to implement it.
Provide. Support companies committed to responsible space practices and debris mitigation technologies.
Stay informed and speak up. Follow space agencies' cleanup efforts and demand transparency in space operations.
The toxic rain from above won't stop until we force the space industry to clean up after its mess. We have the solutions—now we need the will to use them before this environmental disaster gets worse.
WORKS CITED
Boyle, Rebecca. "Explainer: What Is Space Junk and How Does It Affect the Environment?" Earth.Org, earth.org/space-junk-what-is-it-what-can-we-do-about-it/. Accessed 7 June 2025.
Henderson, Emily. "The Environmental Impact of Space Debris." Environment+Energy Leader, www.environmentenergyleader.com/stories/the-environmental-impact-of-space-debris,1177. Accessed 7 June 2025.
Smith, Rajeev. "What's the Environmental Impact of Space Debris and How Can We Solve It?" World Economic Forum, 26 July 2022, www.weforum.org/stories/2022/07/environmental-impact-space-debris-how-to-solve-it/. Accessed 7 June 2025.
"Space Junk." Cambridge Dictionary, Cambridge University Press, dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/space-junk. Accessed 7 June 2025.
