On the Trail of Space Trash

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...of-space-trash

"Already millions of pieces of refuse five millimeters and up circle
Earth in a high-velocity swarm, each packing enough kinetic energy to
disable a satellite. Far more sobering is the threat to human life. In
June the six astronauts onboard the International Space Station took
shelter in escape capsules when a piece of debris came within a few
hundred meters of the station.

"The U.S. is now taking preliminary steps to manage the threat of space
junk by implementing better tracking systems. Space Fence, a new
$6-billion radar system that the U.S. Air Force is planning, could
dramatically increase the number of orbital objects under surveillance
after it comes online around 2017".

See:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...of-space-trash