Are We Running Out Of Room In Orbit? ESA’s 2025 Report Warns Of Escalating Space Debris

The European Space Agency (ESA) has released its 2025 Space Environment Report, warning that Earth’s orbits are becoming dangerously crowded. Low-Earth orbit, in particular, is now packed with satellites and littered with space debris — fast-moving fragments from old spacecraft and rockets that can cause serious damage.

The number of commercial satellite constellations is growing fast. In some parts of LEO, the density of space junk is now as high as the number of active satellites.

Space Debris Growing Faster Than We Can Clean It

ESA says more than 40,000 objects are currently tracked in orbit. But the real number is much higher—over 1.2 million pieces larger than 1 cm are believed to be out there. These are big enough to destroy a satellite in a collision.

In 2024 alone, several major breakups and smaller events added over 3,000 tracked pieces of debris. Many of these were caused by leftover fuel or battery explosions, showing how important it is to shut down satellites safely at the end of their missions.

Re-entries Are On The Rise

There’s progress too. More satellites and rocket parts are now re-entering Earth’s atmosphere than ever before. In 2024, controlled re-entries outpaced uncontrolled ones for the first time. Around 90% of rocket bodies now meet the old 25-year re-entry guideline, and 80% already comply with ESA’s tougher 5-year target.

This shift is helped by better industry practices and a peak in solar activity, which causes atmospheric drag that pulls debris down faster.

But Prevention Alone Isn’t Enough

Even if we stopped launching new satellites today, the debris problem would keep growing. That’s because collisions cause fragments, which cause more collisions—a chain reaction known as the Kessler syndrome. Some orbits could become unusable if this continues.

To break the cycle, ESA says we need to start actively removing debris from space, not just slowing its growth.

ESA’s Plan to Keep Space Usable

ESA is pushing hard with its “Zero Debris Approach”—a goal to stop adding any more junk from its missions by 2030. It’s also encouraging others to follow suit. A growing number of companies and countries have signed the Zero Debris Charter, showing a shared commitment to cleaner orbits.

The agency is backing this up with action. It’s developing new technology for passivation (making satellites safe after use), debris removal, and more sustainable mission designs. ESA is also leading missions like ClearSpace-1, which will remove old satellites from orbit.

Eyes On The Moon, And Beyond

The report also stresses the need to keep the space between Earth and the Moon clean. With more missions planned to the Moon and beyond, ESA says we can’t afford to repeat the same mistakes in cislunar space.