The Kessler Syndrome: Why Space Junk Could Lock Us on Earth
Space is vast—so vast that it’s easy to think of it as a boundless frontier with plenty of room for satellites, rockets, and even a stray piece of debris or two. Yet, as humankind launches more and more into orbit, we confront a hidden danger that could one day make space nearly impassable: the Kessler Syndrome. Also called the Kessler Effect, this scenario describes how increasing amounts of orbiting trash can set off a self-sustaining cascade of collisions, potentially halting ...