Space Litter

I've been doing a bit a searching on the web for information on how broadly humans have spread litter around the globe.  On land it is quite perverse.  For example, litter and illegal dump sites are abound around Beijing China.  Many third word countries do not have the financial resources to solve waste disposal issues and it results in severely poorly managed waste systems.  Some of the litter in our oceans result from those poorly managed waste systems. 

In previous posts, I've discussed litter floating on the ocean surface.  Some of that litter sinks and is scattered across the ocean floor.  More to come on that at a later time. 

What I am now finding, is information on litter that is above our heads.  

Since the Russians launched the first sputnik satellite, space litter has been continually growing around the earth.  Space litter comes from spent rockets, satellites, and debris left by astronauts.  Much of this debris is tiny specs of various compounds, metal, and paint.  Some of it is larger pieces including a camera that was lost by an astronaut on a space walk.  Then there are the disable satellites that sometimes re-enter the earth's atmoshpere.  

Space Litter above the earth

Space scientists are becoming increasingly concerned about this space junk striking satellites or space vehicles, including the international space station.  This debris is tracked so that it can be avoided, but with the increase in space litter, it is becoming more likely. 

Since this debris is traveling at speeds up to 17,000 mph, even the smallest particle can create significant damage to space vehicles. 

A few sources of information that I have found, you can look up on your own. The links are below. 

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=on-the-trail-of-space-trash

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_debris

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/space-debris-is-getting-out-of-hand/2011/09/01/gIQArLHouJ_blog.html

http://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/index.html

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Space_Debris/SEMQQ8VPXPF_0.html



Satellite panel damage from space debris
NASA Orbital Debris Program

Bottom line is: We humans have been very efficient in finding ways to leave litter at our feet, floating on the oceans, on the bottom of the oceans, and up in space.  What's left untouched by humans?