Around 7,000 tonnes of space debris is in the Earth's orbits - expert
«According to various estimates, there are currently about 7,000 tonnes of space debris and 3,000 tonnes of operating spacecraft, including the International Space Station, in near-earth orbits,» Bakaras said, TASS reports.
According to him, space debris includes all artificial objects and their fragments in space that do not function and will never be able to serve useful purposes, while being a dangerous factor affecting operating spacecraft.
«On the basis of statistical estimates, it was concluded that the total number of objects of this kind (more than 1 cm in size) is quite uncertain and can reach from hundreds of thousands to a million,» Bakaras said, adding that less than 5% of these objects are found, tracked, and cataloged by ground-based radar and optical means.