13,000 tons of space junk clutters Earth orbit. Here’s how it could be cleaned up

Astrobitica July 1, 2026 (Last updated: July 1, 2026) 1 minute read

Seventy years ago, Earth had only one satellite: the moon, while now it has more than 15,000, with about 10,000 owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Musk plans to launch 1 million more satellites that would form a data center megaconstellation, each approximately 70 meters long and 20 meters wide.

Seventy years ago, Earth had only one satellite: the moon. Now it has more than 15,000—about 10,000 of which are owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The world’s first trillionaire plans to launch 1 million more satellites, each roughly 70 meters (230 feet) long and 20 meters (66 feet) wide, that would form a data center megaconstellation.