Space waste presents problems for satellites

This situation has deteriorated dramatically over the past few decades”, the astronaut and ESA co-ordinator Thomas Reiter stressed.

Since the beginning of the space age, about 8,000 satellites have been sent to space, of which only 1,800 are still active.

Much of it has already been reintroduced into Earth's atmosphere.

However, in the next five to six years alone, more than 50,000 new satellites are expected to be sent into space.

“This is a large multiple of what has been sent throughout the space age”, Reiter said, adding that it is a matter of the security of the significant space infrastructure.