space junk
Abandoned satellite fragments
Space junk is debris orbiting Earth—defunct satellites, spent rocket stages, fragments from collisions and explosions.
Thousands of tracked objects and millions of smaller pieces travel at speeds that make even paint flecks dangerous to spacecraft: The station maneuvered to avoid space junk.
Also called orbital debris or space debris.
Destroyed remains of something
- fragmentsIncomplete broken pieces
- detritusLoose waste from decay
- remnantsWhat stays after most goes
- shrapnelScattered explosion fragments
scraps · flotsam · discards · rocket stages
Danger of objects colliding
- tracking systemsTools that follow movement
- shieldingProtecting from harm
- orbital decayGradual loss of altitude
- hypervelocity impactStrike at extreme speeds
Fixed above one point
- inclinationDisposition toward something
- apogeeHighest orbital point
- perigeeOrbit's closest point
- trajectoryPath of moving object
decay · reentry · debris field · debris cloud · atmospheric drag · radar tracking · optical tracking · catalog number
No longer existing
- SputnikFirst orbital spacecraft
- abandonedLeft behind completely
- decommissionedRemoved from active service
- failedDid not succeed
tumbling · inactive · Iridium · communication satellites · weather satellites · spy satellites · end-of-life
Act of taking away
- mitigationReduction of severity
- remediationAct of correcting faults
- harpoonBarbed spear for whales
- deorbitExit orbital trajectory
wreckage
Destroyed remains of something
shrapnel · scraps · flotsam · discards · rocket stages
collision risk
Danger of objects colliding
- tracking systemsTools that follow movement
- shieldingProtecting from harm
- orbital decayGradual loss of altitude
geostationary
Fixed above one point
- inclinationDisposition toward something
- apogeeHighest orbital point
- perigeeOrbit's closest point
trajectory · decay · reentry · debris field · debris cloud · atmospheric drag · radar tracking · optical tracking · catalog number
defunct
No longer existing
- SputnikFirst orbital spacecraft
- abandonedLeft behind completely
- decommissionedRemoved from active service
failed · tumbling · inactive · Iridium · communication satellites · weather satellites · spy satellites · end-of-life
removal
Act of taking away
- mitigationReduction of severity
- remediationAct of correcting faults
- harpoonBarbed spear for whales
deorbit · tether · robotic arm
- spacesun, moon, stars, star, Earth
- space hazardsasteroids, comets, meteors, meteorites, solar flares
- space safetycrew safety, life support, spacesuits, pressure suit, pressure suits
- UFO explanationsUFO, weather balloon, Venus, swamp gas, ball lightning
- space debrisdebris field, debris cloud, rocket stages, paint flakes, metal shards
- space structuressatellite, lunar base, moon base, Mars base, docking bay
space junkspace station
Orbiting crewed research facility
communications satellite · GPS satellite · weather satellite · spy satellite
space junkmeteor
Glowing atmospheric space rock
asteroid · meteoroid · comet · cosmic debris · micrometeorite
space, junk, spaceship, spacecraft, cyberspace, space station, airspace, space-time, spacesuit