Space debris and human spaceflight

Humans in space have a lot to contend with, and for those in low-Earth orbit, space debris is a real concern.

The International Space Station orbits Earth at an altitude of just over 400 km. In the two decades since its launch, 35 'collision avoidance manoeuvres' have been performed in order to dodge space debris, with three taking place in 2020 alone.

If a potential collision appears imminent, and there is no time to move the Station, they can take emergency shelter in escape vehicles.

Find out more about the risk space debris poses to astronauts, including the "clanking" sounds they hear while in orbit, in the joint ESA-UNOOSA podcast that narrates this infographic.