According to the US Space Force, only 2,000 of the 22,000 objects that have been tracked circling the Earth are fully operational, functioning satellites. Put differently, roughly 90 percent of the objects that can be tracked circling the globe is junk—space junk, or cosmic garbage. How did it get there, why does it keep accumulating, and how best might we address this global problem are all topics that Akhil Rao, Assistant Professor of Economics at Middlebury College, writes about in a co-authored article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In this episode of New Frontiers, Professor Rao speaks with Mark Williams about these issues and explains why adopting “orbital use fees” could be the best way to address the problem of cosmic garbage.

Show Notes:
Presented by the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs at Middlebury College.

Music Credits

• Forte by Ketsa - Summer with Sound Album
• Soul Zone by Ketsa - Light Rising Album

Produced by Margaret A. DeFoor and Mark Williams.