Scientists in US warn NASA the amount of space junk orbiting Earth is at tipping point
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Surrounded: This NASA image shows the wider circle of space junk surrounding Earth, as well as the tighter cluster of objects in low orbit around the planet
Junk cloud: Left, this computer-generated NASA graphic shows objects of space junk in Earth's orbit that are currently being tracked - hundreds of thousands more are not being tracked - and the size of the objects has been exaggerated in this CG image to add emphasis to the threat
Thanks to Carla Potter for posting this on Facebook --
Scientists in the US have warned NASA that the amount of so-called space junk orbiting Earth is at tipping point.
A report by the National Research Council says the debris could cause fatal leaks in spaceships or destroy valuable satellites.
It calls for international regulations to limit the junk and more research into the possible use of launching large magnetic nets or giant umbrellas.
The debris includes clouds of minuscule fragments, old boosters and satellites.
Some computer models show the amount of orbital rubbish "has reached a tipping point, with enough currently in orbit to continually collide and create even more debris, raising the risk of spacecraft failures," the research council said in a statement on Thursday.
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