A Russian missile creates enough space junk to pose risk to astronauts for years

PFC David Foster your own article states Russia has more
Rocket bodies and debris in space with China not far behind with the debris. Considering China’s space program hasn’t been around as long, that’s significant. The article by the way is also over 4 years old and Russia just blew up a satellite, likely increasing their number significantly.

Maj Kevin "Mac" McLaughlin - I notice there was a difference in the amount of satellites we had in a few different articles. Thanks for the information.

Here's the thing, I realize you're making a joke about the US leaving debris in space, but it really doesn't resonate very well. The US is the world leader in space, in which we provide global services through military and commercial satellite services to all. And while we also lead in leaving debris behind, the two other countries on par with the US in space offer much less to the global population. Because of the US, our space efforts have offered satellite communications, geographical, climate, and weather surveillance, precision navigation, defense assurance through ISR and warning capabilities, and information sharing. Our effort to travel into space paved the way for things like camera phones, CAT scans, water purification systems, home insulation, wireless headsets, baby formula, the computer mouse, and portable computers, just to name a few things originating out of NASA alone.

Cleaning space debris is very hard and extremely expensive. This is why no one is doing it yet (although there are companies preparing to solve the problem). This is also why it is extremely important that we be careful in what we put up there. Seeing the Russian blow a satellite up was irresponsible and it has likely helped put or keep the Russians over the US in space debris numbers. But let's not forget that it was the US that assumed the responsibility to identify and track space debris in order to provide that information to other nations with space programs as well as our own private sector efforts. What is Russia and China doing?

So, yeah, the US has a lot of crap up there. But at least they're tracking it along with everyone else's crap, while putting more substantial efforts and capabilities in space for the world to use.

Maj Kevin "Mac" McLaughlin - I completely agree with you Mac. I didn't say that we didn't track them, there is no doubt that America is the most responsible about it too.. We have to track all of our and all of theirs too because we have so many more up there, we have more to lose and more responsibility to the world to keep it functioning... I did not mean to make America look bad, it was a simple true statement. I should have gone on to say that we are also the most responsible etc... We are the best there is no doubt.