Video Explores The Weirdest (and Most Dangerous) Junk Orbiting Earth

There’s a lot more circling our planet than satellites and space stations. A new TED Ed video takes a deep dive into the bizarre and dangerous world of orbital debris, showing how space has quietly turned into a cosmic junkyard.

Believe it or not, there are over 131 million bits of space junk hurtling around Earth at nearly 10 kilometers per second. Some of it is small as dust, while other pieces are far stranger, like a lost astronaut tool bag and even a Tesla Roadster.

The video explores how we ended up with so much garbage floating above our heads and what could happen if we let it keep piling up.

As the video explains, “There are over 131 million pieces of debris currently whipping around the planet. They range in size from a grain of sand to the size of an entire bus. These orbital debris pose a serious threat to the thousands of satellites that underpin Earth’s vital technologies.

“So, how can we save our satellites and ourselves from all this trash? Jim Bentley and Imogen Ellen Napper investigate.”

The stakes are higher than most people realize. If too much debris collides, it could trigger a chain reaction known as Kessler Syndrome, where one collision sparks countless others, potentially making space travel impossible for generations.

It’s a fascinating and sobering look at how humanity’s ambition to reach the stars has left us with an orbit full of clutter.