Space junk crisis worsens as over a tonne of debris falls to Earth every week

More than a metric tonne of space debris is falling back to Earth roughly every week as the rapid growth in rocket launches and satellite deployments increases the amount of junk orbiting the planet, according to a report.Space junk includes discarded rocket bodies, defunct satellites and fragments from spacecraft. There are about 36,000 pieces of debris larger than 10 centimetres and tens of millions of smaller fragments in orbit, with the total estimated weight reaching 13,486 tonnes.A recent incident in Kenya highlighted the growing problem. In December, a large metal ring from a rocket fell into farmland near Mukuku village, around three hours south of Nairobi, according to a report by New York Times.“People were thinking this is the end of the world,” John Mukunuu, a local resident told NYT.The object, which was taller than a person and heavier than a horse, was later identified as a rocket component.