The problem of space debris is getting bigger. It could be a danger to us. Earlier this week, a huge metal ring crashed into a Kenyan village near Nairobi. It was about 2.5 metres wide, and weighed 500 kilograms. It could have killed people and damaged property. Fortunately, it landed in a small wood. Kenya's Space Agency said the debris was probably a separation ring from a rocket. An official said: "Our experts will…keep the public informed."
More companies and countries are launching rockets. The space race is heating up. Many satellites are now orbiting Earth and going into deep space. Commercial companies have sent dozens of rockets into orbit. Europe's space agency estimated there are over 14,000 tons of debris circling Earth. This includes over 170 million pieces that are wider than one millimetre. Most of these burn up when they re-enter our atmosphere.
Try the same news story at these levels:
Space Debris - Level 5 or Space Debris - Level 6
Sources- https://www.euronews.com/2025/01/03/kenya-investigates-giant-piece-of-space-debris-that-crash-landed-in-a-village
- https://www.livescience.com/space/massive-piece-of-space-junk-crashes-into-village-in-kenya-and-officials-still-have-no-idea-where-it-came-from
- https://www.independent.co.uk/space/kenya-space-debris-rocket-crash-b2673612.html
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