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500-kg space debris crashes into Kenya village

Space Debris - Level 4

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.

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Space Debris - Level 5

The problem of space debris is getting bigger. It could become a danger to people. Earlier this week, a huge metal ring crashed into a Kenyan village 116 km southeast of the capital Nairobi. The object was about 2.5 metres wide, and weighed 500 kilograms. It could have caused significant loss of life and damage to property. Fortunately, it landed in a small wood. Kenya's Space Agency said the hunk of metal was probably the separation ring from a rocket. An official said: "Our experts will…keep the public informed." It said this was "an isolated case".

More companies and countries are launching rockets into space. The space race is heating up. Many satellites from the USA, China and India are now orbiting Earth and going into deep space. Commercial companies, such as SpaceX and Blue Origin have sent dozens of rockets into low-Earth orbit. Europe's space agency estimated that there are over 14,000 tons of debris circling our planet. This includes over 170 million pieces that are wider than one millimetre. Most of these harmlessly burn up upon re-entry into our atmosphere.

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Space Debris - Level 6

There is a growing problem of space debris, to the extent that it could pose a danger to people. Earlier this week, an enormous metal ring crashed into the Kenyan village of Mukuku, 116 km southeast of the capital Nairobi. The mystery object was approximately 2.5 metres wide, and weighed 500 kilograms. It had the potential to cause significant loss of life and damage to property. Fortunately, it landed in a small wood. Kenya's Space Agency said the hunk of metal was probably the separation ring from a recently-launched rocket. An official said: "Our experts will analyze the object…and keep the public informed of the outcome." It said this was "an isolated case".

The problem of space debris will get bigger as more companies and countries launch rockets into the heavens. There has been a heating up of the space race in the past decade. Many satellites from the USA, China, India and other nations are now orbiting Earth and probing deep space. Commercial companies, such as Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin have sent dozens of rockets into low-Earth orbit. The European Space Agency estimated that there are currently more than 14,000 tons of debris circling our planet. This includes over 170 million pieces of space junk that are wider than one millimetre. Most of these harmlessly burn up upon re-entry into our atmosphere.

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