Broken bits of satellites could pose 10,000 year threat

Space experts noted that the crash of two satellites--a derelict Russian military satellite and a working U.S. Iridium commercial satellite--last week has created pieces of debris estimated to be in the tens of thousands. Though most of the particles are small, the speed at which they are travelling means they could continue to threaten other satellites that get in their path for the next 10,000 years.

Observers point out that there is currently no global air traffic control system that tracks the position of all satellites. NASA veteran turned space consultant James Oberg wrote, "At physical contact at orbital speeds, a hypersonic shock wave bursts outwards through the structures. It literally shreds the material into confetti and detonates any fuels." Oberg is hopeful that the Obama administration would take "forceful, visible, and long-overdue" measures to address the problem of space debris.

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