Smithsonian Magazine on MSN

The Astronomical Problem of Space Junk

Dan Falk: Space junk broadly refers to stuff that’s in space that was put there by humans, and that is no longer doing what ...
Millions of pieces of debris now circle Earth in space. Scientists are exploring new ways to remove them and protect future ...
Junk is accumulating in space at a fantastic pace, with millions of pieces orbiting the Earth, and humans need to figure out a way to deal with it.
Low Earth orbit is starting to look less like pristine frontier and more like a crowded junkyard, packed with dead satellites ...
The humble junk drawer is a fixture in almost every home. True to its name, the junk drawer is a place to store everything that doesn’t have a natural home elsewhere. But the junk drawer also serves ...
Junk mail has a new meaning nowadays. Rather than filling an actual mailbox, people are getting bombarded with texts and emails they never asked for. The messages press you to send money for an unpaid ...
Everyone has one: the ubiquitous kitchen junk drawer. It’s a place where birthday candles and tape measures mingle. Band-Aids and chip clips run amok. And somehow, every odd cooking utensil, gift bag ...