The junkyard race – can China, Russia, and the US clean up space?

China, Russia, and the US face the growing risk of space junk in low Earth orbit.

China has been launching tens of thousands of satellites for its own Guowang and Qianfan satellite orbits. These launches require over 1,000 rocket launches, which is a staggering number.

These huge satellite networks are designed to provide global internet access and support technologies like smart cities and 6G, similar to Starlink – but on a much wider scale.

The problem is that in the final stages of orbit, known as the “upper stage,” the rockets are often burned out and represent obstructive debris, occasionally orbiting the Earth for over a century.

These large structures are liable to smash into other satellites, causing even more debris.

Unlike satellite debris, these rocket bodies are large and highly collision-prone. China's current rockets don't deorbit these upper stages, which is seen as a violation of global standards.

It’s important to note that not only China is accountable for the clusters of debris orbiting in space.

Russia holds the record for the number of objects currently contributing to space junk, with approximately 6,500 objects floating in the ether.

This is closely followed by the US and China with 4,000 and 3,500, respectively. According to the European Space Agency, these numbers represent both rocket and satellite debris.

However, this isn’t a case of “who did more,” but more pertinently about how the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) could be thrown into chaos with so much junk fluttering around.

Most Starlink launches currently have controlled de-orbits, reports spacenews.com, whereas China’s current new mega-constellations do not.

Collision course ahead

Astroscale, a Japanese startup, is developing space astro tech to help with debris capture. Initial tests of magnetic docking have been promising so far.

This is a positive sign if innovation can step in, but it’s still in the early stages of development and needs more international backing.

China previously discussed debris mitigation with the UN in 2018 through the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

The UN’s very own Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space is currently applying pressure on the international powers to dispose of space debris more responsibly.

The UN body has highlighted the need for transparency in sharing orbital data openly and for incentivizing reusable or self-deorbiting upper stages, like SpaceX’s Falcon 9 or China’s Yuanzheng-2.

Without these much-needed improvements, the future could look dire for future generations, as lower-orbit space could become a no-go zone due to it being a junkyard of space clutter.