# How much junk is orbiting the Earth, and where is it?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-junk-is-orbiting-the-earth-and-where-is-it/1031103>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 22, 2026, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-junk-is-orbiting-the-earth-and-where-is-it/1031103 "2026-06-22T16:13:06Z")\
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**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-junk-is-orbiting-the-earth-and-where-is-it/1031103/4 "2026-06-22T16:37:01Z")

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That site’s number of 31,000 tracked objects seems reasonably consistent with other sites. They really need to track as much as they physically can, because anything could cause a collision and damage.

> **[About space debris](https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Space_Debris/About_space_debris)**
>
> Satellites in orbit underpin our modern lives. They are used in many areas and disciplines, including space science, Earth observation, meteorology, climate research, telecommunication, navigation and human space exploration. They offer a unique...

[https://aerospace.org/space-debris](https://aerospace.org/space-debris)

I think what the CARA people are talking about is that they’re responsible for avoiding problems caused by NASA’s assets in space. They worry about other people’s stuff, but they’re not the ones who can do anything about that stuff. Each space launching entity is responsible for their own stuff.

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