Plans to Destroy the International Space Station Preview a Bigger Orbital Junk Problem

image via New Scientist

October 28, 2024, 10:00 AM

The International Space Station will be deorbited in 2031, and the process will be carefully controlled to ensure that its debris doesn't hit anyone or anything on the way down. But what about other large pieces of space debris? As more and more satellites are launched, the amount of material coming back down toward Earth is going to drastically increase. Scientists and engineers are working on ways to deorbit satellites safely, but there are still concerns about the potential effects of deorbiting on the atmosphere.

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