▁measurement , ▁mit ig ation , ▁and ▁potential ▁removal ▁of ▁de br is ▁are ▁conducted ▁by ▁some ▁participants ▁in ▁the ▁space ▁industry . ▁ ▁, ▁the ▁US ▁Space ▁Sur ve ill ance ▁Network ▁reported ▁nearly ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁artificial ▁objects ▁in ▁orbit ▁above ▁the ▁Earth , ▁including ▁ 2 , 2 1 8 ▁oper ational ▁sat ell ites . ▁However , ▁these ▁are ▁just ▁the ▁objects ▁large ▁enough ▁to ▁be ▁track ed . ▁, ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 2 8 ▁million ▁pieces ▁of ▁de br is ▁smaller ▁than ▁, ▁about ▁ 9 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁pieces ▁of ▁de br is ▁ 1 – 1 0   cm , ▁and ▁around ▁ 3 4 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁pieces ▁larger ▁than ▁ 1 0   cm ▁were ▁estimated ▁to ▁be ▁in ▁orbit ▁around ▁the ▁Earth . ▁When ▁the ▁smallest ▁objects ▁of ▁human - made ▁space ▁de br is ▁( p aint ▁fle cks , ▁solid ▁ro cket ▁exhaust ▁particles , ▁etc .) ▁are ▁grouped ▁with ▁mic rom eteor oid s , ▁they ▁are ▁together ▁sometimes ▁referred ▁to ▁by ▁space ▁ag encies ▁as ▁M MO D ▁( M ic rom eteor oid ▁and ▁Or b ital ▁Deb ris ). ▁ ▁Coll isions ▁with ▁de br is ▁have ▁become ▁a ▁ha z ard ▁to ▁space craft ; ▁the ▁smallest ▁objects ▁cause ▁damage ▁a kin ▁to ▁sand blast ing , ▁especially ▁to ▁solar ▁pan els ▁and ▁opt ics ▁like ▁teles cop es ▁or ▁star ▁track ers ▁that ▁cannot ▁easily