▁unable ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁precision ▁attack . ▁An ▁attack ▁on ▁a ▁satellite ▁of ▁ 1 0 ▁t onnes ▁or ▁more ▁would ▁heavily ▁damage ▁the ▁LE O ▁environment . ▁ ▁Haz ards ▁ ▁To ▁space craft ▁ ▁Space ▁j unk ▁can ▁be ▁a ▁ha z ard ▁to ▁active ▁sat ell ites ▁and ▁space craft . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁the or ized ▁that ▁Earth ▁orbit ▁could ▁even ▁become ▁imp ass able ▁if ▁the ▁risk ▁of ▁collision ▁grows ▁too ▁high . ▁▁ ▁However , ▁since ▁the ▁risk ▁to ▁space craft ▁increases ▁with ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁expos ure ▁to ▁high ▁de br is ▁dens ities , ▁it ▁is ▁more ▁accurate ▁to ▁say ▁that ▁LE O ▁would ▁be ▁rendered ▁unus able ▁by ▁orbit ing ▁craft . ▁The ▁threat ▁to ▁craft ▁passing ▁through ▁LE O ▁to ▁reach ▁higher ▁orbit ▁would ▁be ▁much ▁lower ▁ow ing ▁to ▁the ▁very ▁short ▁time ▁span ▁of ▁the ▁crossing . ▁ ▁Un cre wed ▁space craft ▁ ▁Although ▁space craft ▁are ▁typically ▁protected ▁by ▁Wh ipp le ▁shield s , ▁solar ▁pan els , ▁which ▁are ▁exposed ▁to ▁the ▁Sun , ▁wear ▁from ▁low - mass ▁impact s . ▁Even ▁small ▁impact s ▁can ▁produce ▁a ▁cloud ▁of ▁pl asma ▁which ▁is ▁an ▁elect rical ▁risk ▁to ▁the ▁pan els . ▁ ▁Sat ell ites ▁are ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁destroyed ▁by ▁mic rom eteor ites ▁and ▁( small ) ▁orb ital ▁de br is ▁( M MO D ). ▁The ▁earliest ▁sus pected ▁loss ▁was ▁of ▁Kos mos ▁ 1 2 7 5