Space Debris by the Numbers
Last update: 11 August 2022
Number of rocket launches since the start of the space age in 1957
About 6250 (excluding failures)
Number of satellites these rocket launches have placed into Earth orbit
About 13630
Number of these still in space
About 8850
Number of these still functioning
About 6700
Number of debris objects regularly tracked by Space Surveillance Networks and maintained in their catalogue
About 32430
Estimated number of break-ups, explosions, collisions, or anomalous events resulting in fragmentation
More than 630
Total mass of all space objects in Earth orbit
More than 10100 tonnes
Not all objects are tracked and catalogued.
The number of debris objects estimated based on statistical models to be in orbit (MASTER-8, future population 2021)
36500 space debris objects greater than 10 cm
1000000 space debris objects from greater than 1 cm to 10 cm
130 million space debris objects from greater than 1 mm to 1 cm
About 6250 (excluding failures)
Number of satellites these rocket launches have placed into Earth orbit
About 13630
Number of these still in space
About 8850
Number of these still functioning
About 6700
Number of debris objects regularly tracked by Space Surveillance Networks and maintained in their catalogue
About 32430
Estimated number of break-ups, explosions, collisions, or anomalous events resulting in fragmentation
More than 630
Total mass of all space objects in Earth orbit
More than 10100 tonnes
Not all objects are tracked and catalogued.
The number of debris objects estimated based on statistical models to be in orbit (MASTER-8, future population 2021)
36500 space debris objects greater than 10 cm
1000000 space debris objects from greater than 1 cm to 10 cm
130 million space debris objects from greater than 1 mm to 1 cm