NASA have released a video showing the extent of space junk in the Earth’s atmosphere amid fears humans are trapping themselves on the planet.

 

There are a reported 170 million pieces of junk floating in Earth’s upper atmosphere, but only 22,000 are being tracked. Some 7,000 tonnes of space junk circle our planet, as defunct satellites, junk from rockets and other metals and rocks build up close to Earth. Experts have previously warned that as space debris increases, it will make it harder for rockets to escape Earth’s orbit out of fear of colliding with an object, known as the ‘Klesser syndrome’.

To read more and view the video, click here.