Eliminate Space Junk: How Removing These 50 Objects Could Halve the Risks of Orbital Debris

China’s recent space activities have raised concerns about the increasing amount of space debris. Over the last 21 months, China was responsible for 21 out of 26 new rocket bodies left in orbit. Each of these can weigh over 4 metric tons (about 8,800 pounds). Other contributors include the US, Russia, India, and Iran.

China is rapidly expanding its satellite systems, particularly the Guowang and Thousand Sails megaconstellations. These projects started last year and will deploy thousands of small communication satellites in low-Earth orbit. While it’s believed these satellites can maneuver to avoid debris, details on their exact capabilities remain undisclosed.

However, many of the rockets used for these launches leave their upper stages in orbit. According to space expert McKnight, the upper stages of nine recent launches will linger in orbit for over 25 years, which goes against international guidelines. If China continues this trend, the number of abandoned rocket bodies could exceed 100 in just a few years.

There are reasons why deorbiting isn’t always done. Some older Chinese rocket models can’t reignite their engines in space. Even newer models that can reignite need to save fuel for deorbiting, which can limit their payload. It’s not that China can’t manage this; for instance, the Long March 5 rocket successfully used an upper stage designed to deorbit itself.

Despite having the technology for responsible practices, China often opts not to deorbit its upper stages, leading to growing concerns about space debris. Since 2000, China has added more long-lived rocket mass in orbit than all other countries combined. This trend has accelerated in the past two years as the Guowang and Thousand Sails constellations are rolled out.

This situation isn’t just a technical problem; it’s a challenge for the future of space travel and the sustainability of our orbits. The explosion of satellite launches in recent years highlights an urgent need for regulations to manage space traffic effectively. If we want to continue using space for exploration and communication, we must take action to ensure it remains safe and usable for generations to come.

For more information on space debris management, check out the European Space Agency.

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