Space is so littered with debris that a collision between satellites could set off an “uncontrolled chain reaction” capable of destroying the communications network on Earth, a Pentagon report warned.
The volume of abandoned rockets, shattered satellites and missile shrapnel in the Earth’s orbit is reaching a “tipping point” and is now threatening the $250 billion (£174bn) space services industry, scientists said.
A single collision between two satellites or large pieces of “space junk” could send thousands of pieces of debris spinning into orbit, each capable of destroying further satellites.
Global positioning systems, international phone connections, television signals and weather forecasts are among the services which are at risk of crashing to a halt....
Some ministers heads are so full of junk it is hard to find a space for the truth, sad to say. Lighter than air, frotheir than a bottle of pop. Any wonder that so many minister to goats and not to sheep. Protestantissues2.com
If space junk can stop the government (or Google) from spying on us from space, I'm all for shooting more junk up there.
Most Internet traffic is over fiber optic terrestrial lines, not through space, so I am not too worried. Satellite communications for Internet traffic has a huge lag. I think this is an overreaction and alarmist. (Remember all the overbuilt "dark fiber" of the dot-com era that hasn't even been switched on yet? Maybe it could be used.)
Of course, I don't really care if anyone can watch the World Cup on TV, either
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