95% of the objects in this computer generated simulation of low-Earth orbit objects is “orbital debris”, not satellites. “Space junk” consist of everything from spent rocket stages, lost equipment and defunct satellites to erosion, explosion and collision fragments. NASA estimates there are more than 500,000 pieces of space junk orbiting the Earth (“tens of millions” if you count smaller objects such as coolant, paint particles, and dust from solid rocket motors). The space junk eventually collides with other orbital debris (and potentially satellites) creating even more pieces of dangerous objects orbiting the Earth. As the orbit of the objects declines, they eventually re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere where they hopefully burn up before reaching the ground.