Space debris and time: visualization of the growth in the amount of cosmolom over the years

Stuart Gray, a lecturer at University College London, created a video and interactive visualization that allows you to see an increase in the amount of space debris around the Earth over time. It all started with the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, which has served its time. Over time, the amount of space debris only increased.

“Satellite 1” was a 58.5 centimeter sphere that generated radio signals. Almost immediately after its launch, Sputnik 2 was launched, as well as Explorer 1 — the United States was already distinguished. Since 1961, when the first manned spacecraft entered space, the situation became uncontrollable - space debris multiplied very quickly.

In spite of the fact that their spent vehicles usually descend into the earth's atmosphere, where they burn (in whole or in part), even more satellites and parts of the spacecraft remain in orbit. At the same time, most parts move with great speed.
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20,000 elements , parts of spacecraft, which are now in low orbit, are not the only threat. There are still more than 300,000 thousand debris particles that are even closer to Earth, below 2,000 km.

Scientists can track the trajectories of thousands of particles. For example, in 2000, trajectories of more than 9,000 elements were tracked. But in 2007, China experienced a rocket, which created 2,000 new fragments, and also changed the trajectory of most of the old ones. Now all this collides in orbit, new parts, pieces and pieces are formed. And all this threatens space vehicles: satellites, ISS, as well as astronauts. And over time, the situation worsens.

There is no way to solve the problem yet, and soon such methods will hardly appear.