Space Debris_ 1957 - 2015

Almost 20,000 pieces of space debris are currently orbiting the Earth. This visualisation, created by Dr Stuart Grey, lecturer at University College London and part of the Space Geodesy and Navigation Laboratory, shows how the amount of space debris increased from 1957 to 2015, using data on the precise location of each piece of junk ( from ). To see the full story, visit the Royal Institution advent calendar at: Find out more at or