2025.07.02 | Avoiding the Kessler Syndrome: Anti-satellite tests and space debris

On The Space Show for Wednesday, 2 July 2025:

Prompted by the destruction of Kosmos 1408, a history of anti-satellite tests, and a discussion from the European Space Agency on the problem of space debris and mitigation efforts. (Audio inserts courtesy ESA)

* The Kessler Syndrome, also known as the Kessler Effect, describes a situation in which the density of objects in low Earth orbit (LEO) becomes so high due to the accumulation of space pollution that collisions between these objects cascade, exponentially increasing the amount of space debris over time. The scenario was first proposed by NASA scientists Donald J. Kessler and Burton G. Cour-Palais in 1978.