, 0 0 0 ▁pieces ▁from ▁one ▁to ▁ten ▁cm . ▁The ▁current ▁count ▁of ▁large ▁de br is ▁( defined ▁as ▁ 1 0   cm ▁across ▁or ▁larger ) ▁is ▁ 3 4 , 0 0 0 . ▁The ▁technical ▁measurement ▁cut off ▁is ▁c . ▁. ▁Over ▁ 9 8 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 , 9 0 0 ▁tons ▁of ▁de br is ▁in ▁low ▁Earth ▁orbit ▁as ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁was ▁account ed ▁for ▁by ▁about ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁objects , ▁each ▁over ▁. ▁Total ▁mass ▁is ▁mostly ▁constant ▁despite ▁addition ▁of ▁many ▁smaller ▁objects , ▁since ▁they ▁re enter ▁the ▁atmosphere ▁sooner . ▁There ▁were ▁" 9 , 0 0 0 ▁pieces ▁of ▁orbit ing ▁j unk " ▁identified ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁with ▁an ▁estimated ▁mass ▁of ▁. ▁ ▁Low ▁Earth ▁orbit ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁or bits ▁nearest ▁to ▁Earth — less ▁than ▁ ▁orb ital ▁alt itude , ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁low - E arth ▁orbit ▁( LE O ) — ▁there ▁have ▁tradition ally ▁been ▁few ▁" univers al ▁or bits " ▁which ▁keep ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁space craft ▁in ▁particular ▁rings ▁( in ▁contrast ▁to ▁G E O , ▁a ▁single ▁orbit ▁that ▁is ▁widely ▁used ▁by ▁over ▁ 5 0 0 ▁sat ell ites ). ▁This ▁is ▁beginning ▁to ▁change ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁and ▁several ▁companies ▁have ▁begun ▁to ▁deploy ▁the ▁early ▁phases ▁of ▁satellite ▁internet ▁const ell ations