Debris orbiting Earth approaching critical levels

BBC : Nearly 30 000 pieces of space junk greater than 10 cm in size are in low Earth orbit, as are several tens of thousands more that are too small to be detected by radar. Most come from satellites and rockets, either because of equipment failures or problems during launch or collisions in orbit. Heiner Klinkrad, head of the European Space Agency’s Space Debris Office, says that the cloud of debris is likely to reach unstable levels within the next few decades. The result could be a chain reaction cascade of collisions known as the Kessler Syndrome . If the amount of debris were to reach that point, launches of new satellites or other spacecraft would risk a major collision. Current launch guidelines call for satellites to deorbit within 25 years of the end of their useful life, but not all satellite owners are complying. Several ongoing efforts to develop mechanisms for debris removal target both large objects, such as derelict, uncontrolled satellites and rocket bodies, and the smaller, fragmentary debris. Klinkrad believes that removing 5 to 10 of the large objects every year could reduce the growth of the debris cloud. But that may not be enough to reduce the long-term risks.