As space junk increases - should we be worrying?

Humans have been using space for more than 60 years – today, satellites control the internet, how we communicate, and even GPS. But the rush to launch objects into orbit is fast becoming a problem, as defunct satellites and old pieces of equipment clog up the skies above Earth. Using technology inspired by the way the human eye works, a team of researchers from Western Sydney University is helping to solve the space junk problem.

**VIDEO AVAILABLE: CONTACT [e-mail] TO RECEIVE** Two Australian farmers discovered debris from a Space X craft on their land. Officials at the Australian Space Agency confirmed the debris found in the Snowy Mountains in southern New South Wales belongs to a craft built by Elon Musk’s firm. Technical experts from the agency visited the location after being alerted by Brad Tucker, an astrophysicist from the Australian National University. Tucker first realised the timing and location of the debris falling coincided with a SpaceX craft’s re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere at 7am on 9 July - 20 months after its launch in November 2020. The scientist believes the debris came from the unpressurised trunk of the SpaceX capsule, which is dumped when returning to Earth. Source: AAP / Brad Tucker/Cover Images/Cover Images