Kessler Syndrome - Potential Trigger

Potential Trigger

The Envisat satellite is a very large target with a mass of 8.211 metric tons, now drifting at 785 km (488 mi), an altitude where the debris environment is the greatest and likely to increase. In the next 150 years that the inactive satellite will remain in orbit, it will become a significant debris source and could easily become a major debris contributor from a collision. Envisat is currently drifting in an environment where 2 catalogued objects can be expected to pass within about 200 meters of Envisat every year.