European Space Agency warns of ‘worrying’ increase in debris

Annual analysis finds increase in debris but more actors trying to follow rules on mitigation

The amount of man-made debris orbiting the Earth has increased over the past year, continuing a decades-long pattern, the European Space Agency has warned.

This “worrying trend” towards further crowding of Earth orbits increases the risk of accidental collisions between active craft and debris, Esa said on 12 October.