Nautilus

Some Dead Satellites Refuse to Go Quietly to Their Graves

A map of large debris orbiting Earth, as seen from the North Pole.European Space Operation Centre (ESOC)

High above us, tens of thousands of kilometers above our heads, there are orbiting graveyards. They are filled with satellites that have burned through their functional lives, now “buried” in space. The graveyards are filled for a reason: A dead satellite is a dangerous one.

On the surface of Earth, gravity pulls debris and trash to the ground, where it remains still, for the most part. In space, gravity gives the same pull, but objects

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