Old satellites, rocket bodies, fragments and particles make up an estimated 9,000 tons of material circling Earth, from a few hundred kilometers to more than 35,000 kilometers in altitude. Most of it is in low-Earth orbit, and pieces of space junk can lose altitude over time and incinerate in the atmosphere. Space junk reenters the atmosphere on a daily basis, although it mostly goes unnoticed because it burns up long before it can hit the ground. — CNN
Falling space debris
