Removing these 50 objects from a job would reduce the danger due to the space bunk in half

China, on the other hand, often leaves the upper stages in a job around the earth. China launched 21 of the 26 dangerous new rocket bodies in the last 21 months, each on average more than 4 tons (8,800 pounds). Two more came from American launchers, one from Russia, one from India and one from Iran.

This trend will probably continue if China sets up the use of two mega sets—Guowang and a thousand sails– With thousands of communication satellites in a job with a low earth. The launches of these constellations started last year. The satellites of Guowang and Thousands are relatively small and are probably able to maneuver from the way of space waste, although China has not announced their exact capacities.

However, most rockets used for Guowang and Thousand Sails launches have left their upper phases around the earth. Mcknight said that nine higher stages left China after the launch of Guowang and Thousand Sails -Satellites will stay around the earth for more than 25 years and violate the international guidelines.

Hundreds of rockets are needed to fully populate the two large mega sets of China. The prospect of so much new space waste is worrying, said McNight.

“In the coming years, if they continue the same trend, they will leave more than 100 rocket bodies over the 25-year-old rule if they continue to use these constellations,” he said. “So the trend is not good.”

There are technical and practical reasons for no top stage at the end of his mission. Some older models of Chinese rockets simply do not have the opportunity to accommodate their engines in space, making them eager after using their loads. Even if a rocket flies with a restable engine of the upper stage, a launch provider has to reserve sufficient fuel for a deorbit incineration. This eats in the load capacity of the rocket, which means that it has to wear fewer satellites.

“We know that the Chinese have the opportunity not to leave rocket bodies,” said McNight. An example is the long rocket of 5 March, which was launched three times with batches from Guowang -Satellites. During those missions, the long 5 March flew with an upper stage called the YZ-2, a high-quality maneuvering vehicle that extracts itself at the end of his mission. The story is not so good for launches with the help of other types of rockets.

“With the other they always leave a rocket body,” said McNight. “So they have the opportunity to do sustainable practices, but they don't do that on average.”

Since 2000, according to Mcknight, China has built more dead rocket mass in long -lasting jobs than the rest of the world combined. “But now we are at a point where it actually accelerates a bit in the past two years as these constellations are used.”