Disposal of satellites at end of mission

As of 2021, an increasing number of satellites reaching the end of their mission in low-Earth orbit are being disposed of responsibly, but there is still work to be done. An increasing percentage of disposal attempts are successful, but too many are left drifting in important orbits with no attempt made to remove them.

A successful removal rate of at least 90% for all types of space object is required to limit the growth rate of space debris, before we can start cleaning up.

More on ESA's 2022 Space Environment Report.