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Number of human-generated space debris, by size
Space trash floating in Earth's orbit by size
This statistic provides the number of human-generated space debris floating within Earth's orbit as of July 2013, broken down by size. As of that time, there were approximately 29,000 pieces of human-generated debris that were larger than 10 centimeters. According to the European Space Agency, a collision with a 10 cm object could entail a catastrophic fragmentation of a typical satellite.
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* For commercial use only
Basic Account
For single users
$0 USD
Always free
Access limited to Free Statistics. Premium Statistics are not included.
- Free Statistics
Based on your interests
Starter Account
For single users
$199 USD
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Professional Account
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Quartz. (October 4, 2017). Number of human-generated space debris, by size [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Retrieved July 24, 2026, from /statistics/791163/number-of-space-debris-objects-by-size/
Quartz. "Number of human-generated space debris, by size." Chart. October 4, 2017. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Accessed July 24, 2026. /statistics/791163/number-of-space-debris-objects-by-size/
Quartz. (2017). Number of human-generated space debris, by size. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 24, 2026. /statistics/791163/number-of-space-debris-objects-by-size/
Quartz. "Number of Human-generated Space Debris, by Size." ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc., 4 Oct 2017, /statistics/791163/number-of-space-debris-objects-by-size/
Quartz, Number of human-generated space debris, by size ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, /statistics/791163/number-of-space-debris-objects-by-size/ (last visited July 24, 2026)
Number of human-generated space debris, by size [Graph], Quartz, October 4, 2017. [Online]. Available: /statistics/791163/number-of-space-debris-objects-by-size/
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