The amount of space junk orbiting Earth has reached a tipping point. According to Nasa, this junk – which can include anything from old rockets, abandoned satellites to missile shrapnel - will soon make it difficult for spacecraft to leave the planet. A German photographer, Michael Najjar, has created the below image to show just how serious a problem space debris has become. Based on a data archive, each miniature sphere in this image represents an existing object orbiting in space. There are around 22,000 objects in orbit that are big enough for officials on the ground to track . There are currently around 22,000 objects in orbit that are big enough for officials on the ground to track and countless more smaller ones that could do damage to human-carrying spaceships and valuable satellites. Based on a data archive, each miniature sphere in the image represents an existing object orbiting in space. Overall, it is estimated that there are as many as 370,000 pieces of space junk floating in Earth's orbit, travelling at speeds of up to 22,000 mph. It is estimated that there are as many as 370,000 pieces of space junk floating in Earth's orbit, travelling at speeds of up to 22,000 mph . Since . the first object, Sputnik One, was launched into space 53 years ago, . mankind has created a swarm of perhaps tens of millions of items of . debris. The rubbish circling the planet comes from old rockets, abandoned satellites and missile shrapnel. There are around 22,000 objects in . orbit that are big enough for officials on the ground to track and . countless more smaller ones that could do damage to human-carrying . spaceships and valuable satellites. It . is estimated that there are as many as 370,000 pieces of space junk . floating in Earth's orbit, traveling at speeds of up to 22,000 mph. One major source of debris in the past . was the testing of anti-satellite weapons carried out by both the U.S. and Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1970s. Accidental . events have also contributed to the problem. In February 2007 for . instance, a Russian Briz-M booster stage exploded in orbit over South . Australia. More . recently, the GOCE satellite, also known as the ‘Ferrari of space’, made . a fiery fall to Earth sometime between the end of this month and the . start of November. Since the space age began 54 years ago, civilisation has littered the area just above Earth's atmosphere with leftover boosters and other parts that come off during launches, as well as old satellites. Many pieces of space junk fall back down to Earth, but most burn up on reentry. One major source of debris in the past was the testing of anti-satellite weapons carried out by both the U.S. and Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1970s. Accidental events have also contributed to the problem. In February 2007 for instance, a Russian Briz-M booster stage exploded in orbit over South Australia. The booster had been carrying an Arabsat-4A communication satellite but malfunctioned before it could use all of its propellant creating a cloud of space debris. More recently, the GOCE satellite, also known as the ‘Ferrari of space’, made a fiery fall to Earth sometime between the end of this month and the start of November. Its debris fell along a path through East Asia and the Western Pacific to Antarctica but no one was hurt. Several solutions to retrieving or moving the space junk have been put forward including giant cosmic versions of harpoons, nets, tethers, magnets and even a giant dish or umbrella-shaped device. Mr Najjar created the image of space junk in collaboration with the Institute of Aerospace Systems at the Braunschweig University of Technology, which helps track space debris . The photographer describes himself as a ‘certified civilian astronaut’ and plans to be the ‘first artist in space’. He has already secured a ticket to go to space on board Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo in 2014. Starting prices for one flight cost $200,000 (£122,900) Mr Najjar said that by flying high above the Earth, he hopes the questions ‘who are we, and where do we come from?’ His work is an attempt to highlight the technology and culture of space flight by changing the context in which it is presented.
Each sphere in the image represents an existing object orbiting in space .
There are around 22,000 objects in orbit that are big enough to track .
Many are 'space junk' such as old rockets and abandoned satellites .
It is estimated as many as 370,000 pieces of space junk are floating in Earth's orbit, travelling at speeds of up to 22,000 mph .
The amount of space junk orbiting Earth has reached a tipping point. According to Nasa, this junk – which can include anything from old rockets, abandoned satellites to missile shrapnel - will soon make it difficult for spacecraft to leave the planet. A German photographer, Michael Najjar, has created the below image to show just how serious a problem space debris has become. Based on a data archive, each miniature sphere in this image represents an existing object orbiting in space. There are around 22,000 objects in orbit that are big enough for officials on the ground to track . There are currently around 22,000 objects in orbit that are big enough for officials on the ground to track and countless more smaller ones that could do damage to human-carrying spaceships and valuable satellites. Based on a data archive, each miniature sphere in the image represents an existing object orbiting in space. Overall, it is estimated that there are as many as 370,000 pieces of space junk floating in Earth's orbit, travelling at speeds of up to 22,000 mph. It is estimated that there are as many as 370,000 pieces of space junk floating in Earth's orbit, travelling at speeds of up to 22,000 mph . Since . the first object, Sputnik One, was launched into space 53 years ago, . mankind has created a swarm of perhaps tens of millions of items of . debris. The rubbish circling the planet comes from old rockets, abandoned satellites and missile shrapnel. There are around 22,000 objects in . orbit that are big enough for officials on the ground to track and . countless more smaller ones that could do damage to human-carrying . spaceships and valuable satellites. It . is estimated that there are as many as 370,000 pieces of space junk . floating in Earth's orbit, traveling at speeds of up to 22,000 mph. One major source of debris in the past . was the testing of anti-satellite weapons carried out by both the U.S. and Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1970s. Accidental . events have also contributed to the problem. In February 2007 for . instance, a Russian Briz-M booster stage exploded in orbit over South . Australia. More . recently, the GOCE satellite, also known as the ‘Ferrari of space’, made . a fiery fall to Earth sometime between the end of this month and the . start of November. Since the space age began 54 years ago, civilisation has littered the area just above Earth's atmosphere with leftover boosters and other parts that come off during launches, as well as old satellites. Many pieces of space junk fall back down to Earth, but most burn up on reentry. One major source of debris in the past was the testing of anti-satellite weapons carried out by both the U.S. and Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1970s. Accidental events have also contributed to the problem. In February 2007 for instance, a Russian Briz-M booster stage exploded in orbit over South Australia. The booster had been carrying an Arabsat-4A communication satellite but malfunctioned before it could use all of its propellant creating a cloud of space debris. More recently, the GOCE satellite, also known as the ‘Ferrari of space’, made a fiery fall to Earth sometime between the end of this month and the start of November. Its debris fell along a path through East Asia and the Western Pacific to Antarctica but no one was hurt. Several solutions to retrieving or moving the space junk have been put forward including giant cosmic versions of harpoons, nets, tethers, magnets and even a giant dish or umbrella-shaped device. Mr Najjar created the image of space junk in collaboration with the Institute of Aerospace Systems at the Braunschweig University of Technology, which helps track space debris . The photographer describes himself as a ‘certified civilian astronaut’ and plans to be the ‘first artist in space’. He has already secured a ticket to go to space on board Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo in 2014. Starting prices for one flight cost $200,000 (£122,900) Mr Najjar said that by flying high above the Earth, he hopes the questions ‘who are we, and where do we come from?’ His work is an attempt to highlight the technology and culture of space flight by changing the context in which it is presented.
this image represents an existing object orbiting in space. There are around 22,000 objects in 22,000 objects in orbit that are big enough for miniature sphere in the image represents an estimated that there are as many as 370,000 pieces of space junk floating in Earth's orbit, travelling at speeds of up to 22,000 mph. It is from old rockets, abandoned satellites and