3 ms·
Space is really, really big. When you hear that the Sun has an Asteroid belt, you imagine that it is like Empire Strikes Back. In actuality, the belt works out
by mandevil 7y ago
Space is really, really big. When you hear that the Sun has an Asteroid belt, you imagine that it is like Empire Strikes Back. In actuality, the belt works out to 1 extra atom per m^3 of space, because, well, see above about how big space is. That is basically what we're talking about with satellites here- all of our space junk in graveyard orbits is less dense than that, last I checked (which was 4-5 years ago).
Low Earth Orbit is a bigger concern; but much of the concern in that region is spent rocket stages which have enough propellant inside them that they eventually explode and then for several months-years we have lots of debris (and then threat of a Kessler Cascade). The international community has responded to this threat by adding regulations on the proper disposal of spent rocket stages. (Occasionally, similar to this satellite, there are failed stages which do explode, but it should not happen often or on a normal path.)