Information last updated on 06 December 2023
- Number of rocket launches since the start of the space age in 1957
- About 6500 (excluding failures)
- Number of satellites these rocket launches have placed into Earth orbit
- About 16990
- Number of these still in space
- About 11500
- Number of these still functioning
- About 9000
-
Number of debris objects regularly tracked by Space Surveillance Networks and
maintained in their catalogue
- About 35150
-
Estimated number of break-ups, explosions, collisions, or anomalous events
resulting in fragmentation
- More than 640
- Total mass of all space objects in Earth orbit
- More than 11500 tonnes
-
Not all objects are tracked and catalogued. The number of debris objects
estimated based on statistical models to be in orbit
(MASTER-8, future population 2021)
-
36500 space debris objects greater than 10 cm
1000000 space debris objects from greater than 1 cm to 10 cm
130 million space debris objects from greater than 1 mm to 1 cm