How much space is there in space?

The Earth's orbit is getting increasingly crowded with not just satellites, but also old rocket boosters, fragments of broken space tech and other waste. With 47% of all tracked objects in orbit being space junk, plus an estimated 1.2 million untraceable small fragments, is it time to start worrying about what we're putting in space? And what will happen if these objects start colliding? In this video we break down where and how satellites are put into orbit, how they work, the speed they need to travel, and why there is only a narrow band of usable space that most technology can operate in. We also look at what will happen if satellites and space junk start colliding and what it means for our communication, tech and infrastructure. 🚀 Discover deep-dive engineering stories and breakthrough technologies on Interesting Engineering: https://www.youtube.com/@interestingengineeringie 🪖 Explore military innovation and defense technology on Military Mechanics: https://www.youtube.com/@militarymechanicsie 🔔 Subscribe to IE Brief for daily updates on the discoveries, technologies, and global developments shaping our world: https://www.youtube.com/@iemediainc 🔬 Complex tech, simply explained. Discover how the world works with IE Explains: https://www.youtube.com/@ie-explains