Amid a rapid increase in objects in Earth’s orbit due to the vitalization of the space industry, it has been analyzed that nearly half of them are space debris. Provided by Getty Images Bank.
It has been revealed that 47% of all trackable objects currently in Earth’s orbit are space debris. As satellite launches increase, the risk of collisions between fragments is also growing rapidly, raising concerns.
On the 13th (local time), the American science outlet ‘Scientific American’ reported on the current status and dangers of space debris in Earth’s orbit, citing the ‘Space Debris Report’ released by the American engineering firm Accu on April 28.
Accu based its report on data from Space-Track.org, a database of space objects operated by the U.S. Space Force. According to the report, there are currently 33,269 trackable objects in Earth’s orbit, of which only 17,682 are actual satellites. The remainder consists of space debris such as discarded rocket bodies, fragments, and unidentified objects. This means that space debris accounts for approximately 47% of all tracked objects.
However, Accu stated that the scale of the problem may be underestimated. Including non-operational, inactive satellites could increase the proportion of uncontrollable objects. In addition, there could be millions of untrackable objects, such as paint chips or microscopic fragments that have broken off from rockets and spacecraft.
Space debris has been accumulating since the launch of Sputnik 1, humanity’s first artificial satellite, in 1957. It has increased particularly rapidly in the last decade. Between 2020 and 2025 alone, the number of trackable objects in orbit has grown by more than 10,000.
Accu also analyzed the contribution of various countries to space debris. China, the Russian sphere, and the United States were the main contributors, with China found to have generated the most space debris. Of the total 12,550 pieces of space debris, 4,228 were from China, 3,929 from the Russian sphere, and 3,884 from the United States.
Most objects in orbit travel at speeds exceeding 27,000 km/h, meaning even small fragments can cause serious damage to satellites or space stations. In fact, in 2024, astronauts on the International Space Station evacuated due to fragments from a dismantled Russian satellite. In 2025, an incident occurred where the window of a return capsule was damaged by space debris, leaving the crew of China’s Tiangong space station temporarily stranded.
Recognizing the seriousness of space debris, agencies like NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are developing technologies to remove debris from low-Earth orbit, and private companies are also entering the space-cleaning business.
Nevertheless, Accu emphasized that until a sufficient amount of space debris is removed, engineers must consider it from the initial stages of designing future spacecraft. The assessment is that all components, including their precision, durability, and materials, must be carefully selected to withstand potential impacts.
The experts who authored the report stated, “Space debris is a core challenge of the modern space age. How this problem is addressed will determine the future direction of space exploration and technological innovation.”
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