How does gravity affects space junk?

Answer 1

There are several causes for man-made space debris.

The first is discarded parts from launched spacecraft and rockets. These can be entire burned-out upper stages, pieces that have come off during operation or stage separation like bolts, rivets, pieces of metal/plastic/insulation foam, paint chips etc.

The second are spacecraft themselves: satellites that have reached the end of their useful life because they've suffered from a critical failure or from degradation that limits their capabilities below useful, or because they simply ran out of fuel for station-keeping.

The last part is debris created by collisions of orbiting bodies, which can be natural micrometorites, space junk from one of the first two categories or active spaceraft colliding with each other. One example of this would be the satellite collision on February 10, 2009, when a decomissioned Russian military satellite hit an Iridium communications satellite, destroying both.

Answer 2

Gravity affects space junk by pulling it towards Earth, causing it to eventually re-enter the atmosphere. This can lead to the space junk burning up upon re-entry or crashing back to Earth, potentially posing a risk to people and property below. Gravity also plays a role in how space junk orbits the Earth, influencing its trajectory and potential collisions with other objects.

Answer 3

A huge problem. The ISS is move multiple times a year to try to avoid collisions with larger junk we can track. Last february the station almost had to be evacuated due to a close call. even chips of paint are moving so fast they can deliver massive force. Also, defunct satellites and debris pose threats to new satellites, a loss of one would cost millions.

Answer 4

Space Junk (defunct satellites, rocket boosters, and their debris) poses a significant hazard to satellites and other spacecraft that orbit at the same altitude, or that cross the orbits of the debris. Most space junk is moving at very high speed (more than 20,000 mph / 32,200 kph), which can threaten severe impact damage in a collision. It would, however, be less than potential damage from micro-meteoroids (much smaller but traveling at much higher speeds).

The threat to people on the Earth's surface is relatively insignificant, since only a few pieces of orbital debris are large and sturdy enough to avoid disintegration on reentry.

The effect of space junk orbiting other planets is likewise small, but these space probes may carry nuclear power sources and biological contaminants from Earth. Either might be a threat to any extraterrestrial lifeforms that might exist and come in contact with these probes.

Answer 5

It floats around in orbit until Norad can track it and recover it.

Answer 6

It keeps it in orbit until it is eventually too strong and pulls it into the atmosphere where it burns up