ESA Space Debris Training Course

Space debris describes the mass of human-made junk that has been discarded into space. Initially launched with ambitious scientific and technological goals in mind, these old satellites and rocket parts are now obsolete but continue to orbit the Earth despite the ending of their missions.

As of 2017, 23 000 artificial objects were being tracked in Earth orbit, including 1200 operational satellites. It is estimated that the number of objects too small to be observed is over 166 million.

This huge mass of space waste is extremely hazardous to spacecraft, as individual pieces can travel at huge speeds and carry vast amounts of energy. Even tiny flecks of paint have caused damage to the International Space Station

To help raise awareness of this issue, ESA’s Education Office conducts ESA Academy Space Debris Training Courses in ESEC, Redu, Belgium. University students are introduced to the nature of space debris and its causes, as well as mitigation policies ESA has in place and those planned for the future.

These training courses are a collaboration between ESA’s Education Office and ESA’s Space Debris Office, which coordinates ESA's research activities in all aspects of space debris.