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How much debris exists in space? See the journey of space junk from the 1960s to today.

On Point

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Edited by Katherine Tam
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Dealing with space debris

The news

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Sluggish funding. In 2021, investors poured almost $47 billion into space start-ups, with $14.5 billion raised in the fourth quarter alone. But from January to March 2022, companies focusing on space only raised $7.2 billion, and second-quarter expectations are now much lower. An overall decline in space ventures is contributing to the sluggish funding, but the space sector has other challenges too. One potential issue is that space start-ups can find it difficult to control how quickly they use up cash, since hardware and R&D are very costly. [Axios]

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The new space race. Big data—not big egos—is crucial to the new space race, despite the attention paid to company founders in the news, declares one astronomy professor. Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) is revolutionizing satellite imaging. By combining all the radar echoes from any target, SAR can produce a single sharp image, regardless of cloud cover or darkness. Real-time, sharp satellite imagery could have many uses, from enabling insurers and first responders to assess damage from hurricanes quickly to spotting troop movements as they occur. [WSJ]

The International Space Station has changed its orbit roughly 30 times since 1999 to avoid space junk.

Our insights

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Dangerous space junk. Around 11,000 satellites have entered space since the late 1950s, and there could soon be as many as 70,000, according to McKinsey’s Chris Daehnick and Jess Harrington. But what happens when the satellites no longer work? By that point, most are beyond Earth’s gravitational pull and end up stuck floating above the planet. Orbital debris, better known as space junk, can be incredibly dangerous. Today there are approximately 27,000 pieces of space junk in orbit, weighing in at roughly 9,000 metric tons.

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Cleaning up. Any object in space can be unsafe, as it could float around indefinitely and collide with a satellite. For now, researchers are tracking space junk and alerting people to potential problems. They’re also working on concepts to clean up space junk, including using harpoons and nets, magnets, and a slingshot-like sweeper that moves junk back toward Earth. With space tourism becoming more feasible, it’s even more important to deal with space junk. See the ideas and technologies being proposed to clean up space junk in the latest edition of McKinsey for Kids.

Explore the future of space

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by "McKinsey On Point" <publishing@email.mckinsey.com> - 12:39 - 1 Aug 2022

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A leader’s guide to the new talent pool

How much debris exists in space? See the journey of space junk from the 1960s to today.

Dealing with space debris

The news

The International Space Station has changed its orbit roughly 30 times since 1999 to avoid space junk.

Our insights

Archives

in

info@learn.odoo.com

Invite only - Design First or Code First?

A leader’s guide to the new talent pool

How much debris exists in space? See the journey of space junk from the 1960s to today.

Dealing with space debris﻿

The news

The International Space Station has changed its orbit roughly 30 times since 1999 to avoid space junk.﻿

Our insights

Dealing with space debris

The International Space Station has changed its orbit roughly 30 times since 1999 to avoid space junk.