At orbital speeds, a fleck of paint just 0.2 mm across can pit the window of a spacecraft. The ISS has had to replace windows damaged by debris impacts.
The orbital debris environment is not uniformly distributed. Certain altitude bands — particularly the 700–1,000 km region — are critically congested. This is where atmospheric drag is too weak for natural cleanup, but the population density creates the highest collision risk. Mega-constellations are rapidly adding to the congestion of lower bands.
200–400 km
1,331
400–600 km
12,957
600–800 km
4,573
800–1,000 km ⚠️
4,430
1,000–1,200 km
1,962
1,200–2,000 km
2,705
MEO (2,000–35,786 km)
2,350
GEO (~35,786 km)
1,752
800–1,000 km — Critical Congestion Zone
This altitude band contains the largest concentration of tracked debris, including fragments from the Fengyun-1C ASAT test (2007) and the Cosmos–Iridium collision (2009). Objects at this altitude have orbital lifetimes of hundreds to thousands of years — far too long for atmospheric drag to provide natural cleanup. This is the highest-risk region for the Kessler syndrome.
Altitude distribution computed from Orbital Radar's TLE database. Counts update multiple times daily from official sources.
💥
Notable Fragmentation Events
Major debris-generating events and their tracked fragment populations. Counts are computed live from our database — fragments decay naturally over time, so these numbers change.
🇨🇳
Fengyun-1C ASAT Test
Jan 2007
~3,500
Generated
1,928
Tracked now
865 km
Altitude
💥
Cosmos–Iridium Collision
Feb 2009
~2,300
Generated
685
Tracked now
790 km
Altitude
🇷🇺
Cosmos 1408 ASAT Test
Nov 2021
~1,500
Generated
3
Tracked now
480 km
Altitude
🇮🇳
Mission Shakti ASAT Test
Mar 2019
~400
Generated
8
Tracked now
300 km
Altitude
🇺🇸
USA-193 ASAT Intercept
Feb 2008
~174
Generated
—
Tracked now
247 km
Altitude
🔴
DMSP F13 Breakup
Feb 2015
~149
Generated
120
Tracked now
850 km
Altitude
📈
Growth of Tracked Debris (1957–Now)
From a single object in 1957 to 32,060 tracked today — seven decades of accumulation in Earth orbit.
Objects in orbit on each day since 4 October 1957, counted from Orbital Radar's catalogue: each object from about the day it was catalogued until it re-entered. On 7 November 2026: 35,500 catalogued objects in orbit, 32,060 of them with a current orbit (the map above). Full debris statistics
⚡
Space Debris by the Numbers
The tracked catalogue represents only a fraction of the debris environment. The vast majority of objects are too small to track from the ground — but large enough to destroy a spacecraft.
Estimated 1 mm to 1 cm
~230,000,000
Estimated 1–10 cm
~1,500,000
Tracked >10 cm
32,060
Active satellites
16,661
At orbital speeds, even a 1 cm fragment carries the kinetic energy of a hand grenade. A 10 cm object impacts with the force of 7 kg of TNT. The total mass of all objects in orbit is more than 17,500 tonnes. Learn more about the growing threat in our debris statistics report.
🔴
Proximity Screening Monitor
Current close-proximity events detected by screening the tracked catalogue at the latest epoch. Objects within 10 km are flagged. Note: These are instantaneous separations, not predicted close approaches — operational conjunction assessment uses full-orbit predictions and official close-approach warnings. Learn more in our space situational awareness guide.
Loading conjunction data…
Conjunction data computed server-side from TLE propagation. Updated every 15 minutes. Miss distances are predictions and may change as orbital elements are refined. See Space Situational Awareness Guide for methodology.
🎯
Orbital Population Composition
The tracked catalogue includes active payloads, defunct satellites, fragmentation debris, rocket bodies and mission-related objects. Here's how the population breaks down right now.
Fragmentation Debris
10,171
Rocket Bodies
2,209
Active Payloads
19,676
Defunct Payloads & Other
4
☄️
Re-entry Forecast (Next 30 Days)
Objects predicted to re-enter Earth's atmosphere in the coming weeks. Most debris burns up completely; larger objects may survive to the surface. See the full re-entry tracker for details.
Watch how it comes downA 3D view of how an object like these is expected to break up and burn. Loads only when you press play.
Watch How It Comes Down
How objects like these are expected to come apart, from 120 km up to the final fall. Drag to turn the view.
Seen from the ground about 350 km to the side, looking north
Expected break-up (simulation)
Loading…
Altitude—
Speed—
Heating
Parts left—
0:00×60
Break-up expected around 78 km (usually 72 to 84 km) · The exact time and place stay uncertain until the final hours · No landing spot is shown
What happens to each part
Part
Made of
Expected
Risk to any one person: ~1 in 10 trillion
🎲
Collision Probability Calculator
Estimate the collision probability for any tracked debris object using a simplified debris density model. Enter a NORAD ID from the map above.
🌳
Debris Ancestry Tree
Trace any debris fragment back to its origin — the launch that put it there, the satellite or rocket body it came from, and the breakup event that created it.
⏳
Time-to-Decay Calculator
How long does debris survive at different altitudes? Drag the slider to see how atmospheric drag (or lack thereof) determines orbital lifetime.
800 km
~200–500 years
💥
Kessler Cascade Simulator
What happens if we keep adding objects without removing any? Adjust the parameters and simulate 100 years of orbital debris evolution to see if a Kessler cascade occurs.
🌍
"What If" Impact Visualiser
Where would a debris object land if it re-entered right now? See the hypothetical ground track and impact uncertainty footprint for any tracked object.
🔮
3D Debris Shell Visualisation
Explore the layered structure of the debris environment. Each translucent shell represents an altitude band — the brighter the shell, the denser the debris population. Drag to rotate.
🏆
Country Responsibility Leaderboard
Which nations have contributed the most debris to Earth orbit? Rankings based on international designator data from our catalogue — includes active payloads, defunct satellites, rocket bodies and fragmentation debris.
Loading country data…
⚖️
Then vs Now — Debris Comparison
See how dramatically the orbital debris environment has changed. Pick two years to compare side-by-side.
vs
📖
How to Use This Page
1
View the live map — the ground track map shows real-time positions of tracked debris, colour-coded by type: red for fragmentation debris, gold for rocket bodies, grey for defunct payloads, cyan for active satellites.
2
Filter by type or altitude — use the buttons above the map to isolate specific object types or fragmentation events. The altitude slider lets you focus on a specific orbital band.
3
Check conjunction risks — the conjunction monitor shows the highest-risk close approach events predicted in the next 72 hours, including miss distance and collision velocity.
4
Explore fragmentation events — browse notable debris clouds from ASAT tests and collisions, with live tracked fragment counts and links to track each cloud on the 3D globe.
5
Check debris above you — enter your location in the overhead radar to see how many tracked objects are currently above your horizon.
No. The map is for learning and awareness. Satellite operators rely on official close-approach warnings to decide whether to move.
Lower objects orbit faster. At 400 km a lap takes about 90 minutes, at 20,000 km about 12 hours, and geostationary objects seem to hover over one spot.
Yes. Pick an event under Notable Fragmentation Events and choose Track on Globe, or follow the Debris Ancestry Tree to see which parent each piece came from.
There are 32,060 tracked objects in Orbital Radar's live catalogue, an estimated 1.5 million objects between 1 and 10 cm, and about 230 million between 1 mm and 1 cm. The total mass of all objects in orbit is more than 17,500 tonnes. See our full debris statistics breakdown.
Among the largest debris objects are defunct upper stages and decommissioned satellites. The Envisat Earth observation satellite (~8 tonnes, 26 m long) lost contact in 2012 and orbits at ~770 km — it will remain there for over a century. See the re-entry tracker for large objects predicted to de-orbit.
In LEO, debris travels at approximately 7–8 km/s (25,000–28,000 km/h). Collision speeds can reach 15 km/s on crossing orbits. At these velocities, even a 1 cm fragment carries the kinetic energy of a hand grenade.
Kessler syndrome describes a cascading chain reaction where collisions generate debris that causes further collisions, potentially rendering entire orbital bands unusable. The 700–1,000 km altitude range is considered the highest-risk zone. Read our full explainer: Kessler Syndrome.
Space debris is tracked mainly by ground-based radar and optical telescopes run by military, civil and commercial networks, which share catalogue data. See how space debris tracking works for details.
In 1997, Lottie Williams of Oklahoma was struck by a small piece of a Delta II rocket — the only confirmed case of a person being hit by orbital debris. Most re-entering debris burns up or lands in oceans (which cover 71% of Earth's surface). Track upcoming re-entries on our re-entry tracker.
Under the Outer Space Treaty (1967), launching states bear international responsibility for objects they place in orbit. However, there is no binding international law requiring debris removal. The UN COPUOS Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines are voluntary recommendations. See our space sustainability guide for current efforts.
Yes. The ISS performs several debris avoidance manoeuvres per year when tracked objects are predicted to pass within a few kilometres. Its Whipple shields can withstand impacts from particles up to about 1 cm. For larger objects, the crew may shelter in their return vehicles.
Several active debris removal (ADR) missions are in development. Approaches include robotic capture arms, harpoons, nets, magnetic docking, and laser ablation. ESA's ClearSpace-1, ASTROSCALE's ADRAS-J and China's Shijian-21 have demonstrated early capabilities. Natural removal happens via atmospheric drag for objects below ~600 km, but higher debris will remain for centuries.
As of the latest catalogue update, there are approximately 16,661 active satellites in orbit, with Starlink comprising the largest single constellation. The total number of tracked objects — including debris and rocket bodies — stands at 32,060. See our live satellite count for real-time figures.
Most debris burns up during re-entry due to extreme aerodynamic heating. Larger, denser objects (titanium tanks, carbon-fibre structures) can survive to the surface. Roughly 70% of Earth is ocean, so most surviving fragments land harmlessly at sea. Use our re-entry tracker to monitor upcoming events and predicted impact zones.
TY - ELEC
AU - Orbital Radar,
TI - Space Debris Map
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/07
PB - Orbital Radar
UR - https://orbitalradar.com/space-debris-map
Y2 - 2026/11/07
LA - en
ER -