A new report from Europe raises serious alarms about orbital collisions

Making sense of orbital debris A new report from Europe raises serious alarms about orbital collisions “I think we are going to lose the ability to use certain orbits.”

13 An artist's conception of space junk orbiting Earth. Credit: imaginima An artist's conception of space junk orbiting Earth. Credit: imaginima Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav The 2013 sci-fi blockbuster film Gravity , starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, popularized the notion of the Kessler syndrome. In the movie, Russia shoots down a defunct satellite and creates a cloud of debris, leading to serious tension in orbit.