Kessler syndrome: Earth's orbit is threatened by space debris

Scientists are concerned about the rapid growth of space debris around the Earth, which could lead to catastrophic consequences for satellites and space research.

University of Arizona Professor Vishnu Reddy said in an interview with CNN that the number of objects launched into space in the past four years has increased exponentially. This creates a real threat to the realization of the Kessler syndrome.

The Kessler syndrome is a hypothetical process in which collisions of space objects generate fragments, causing a chain reaction of new collisions. This effect could make near-Earth space unusable for satellites and space activities. Debris poses a particular danger to geostationary orbit, where important telecommunications satellites are located at an altitude of about 35 thousand kilometers from Earth.

Professor Reddy noted that humanity does not yet have a quick way to clean up geostationary orbit.

In November, the Russian cargo ship "Progress MS-28" changed the orbit of the ISS twice in a month to avoid a collision with space debris. According to Roscosmos, the ISS orbit has to be adjusted 16-20 times a year to prevent such incidents.

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