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The Trouble with Space Junk

Episode 13 of 19

Horizon reveals the scale of the problem of space junk. In 2014, the International Space Station had to move three times to avoid lethal chunks of space debris.

In 2014, the International Space Station had to move three times to avoid lethal chunks of space debris, and there is an increasing problem of satellites mysteriously breaking down.

With first-hand accounts from astronauts and experts, Horizon reveals the scale of the problem of space junk. Our planet is surrounded by hundreds of millions of pieces of junk moving at 17,000 miles per hour. Now the US government is investing a billion dollars to track them, and companies around the world are developing ways to clear up their mess - from robot arms to nets and harpoons. Horizon investigates the science behind the hit film Gravity and discovers the reality is far more worrying than the Hollywood fiction.

59 minutes

Spot the International Space Station

Spot the International Space Station

See the ISS with the naked-eye from where you live as it races around the Earth every 90 minutes.

Credits

Role Contributor
Narrator Helen McCrory
Producer David Stewart
Director David Stewart
Series Editor Steve Crabtree

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