Active and inactive satellites, Illustration and labels for active satellites (blue) and inactive satellites (red) orbiting the Earth. The prominent ring is occupied by geostationary satellites, all 35, 786 kilometres above the equator. The space between that orbit and the near-Earth orbits is relatively empty, but the number of pieces of debris and junk around the Earth is vast. Models use data from over 10, 000 objects tracked in orbit. Between 1000 and 2000 are satellites, the remainder being junk. The junk ranges from flecks of paint to entire discarded rocket stages, and presents a serious hazard to the use of space, especially near the Earth. | |
Lizenzart: | Lizenzpflichtig |
Credit: | Science Photo Library / Equinox Graphics |
Bildgröße: | 7680 px × 4320 px |
Modell-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Eigentums-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Restrictions: | - |