ple tion ▁of ▁ac ids ▁such ▁as ▁nit ric ▁acid ▁and ▁hal og ens . ▁ ▁Space ▁de br is ▁Space ▁de br is ▁describes ▁particul ates ▁in ▁the ▁vac u um ▁of ▁outer ▁space , ▁specifically ▁particles ▁origin ating ▁from ▁human ▁activity ▁that ▁remain ▁in ▁ge oc ent ric ▁orbit ▁around ▁the ▁Earth . ▁The ▁International ▁Association ▁of ▁A str onaut s ▁define ▁space ▁de br is ▁as ▁" any ▁man - made ▁Earth ▁orbit ing ▁object ▁which ▁is ▁non - function al ▁with ▁no ▁reasonable ▁expectation ▁of ▁assuming ▁or ▁res uming ▁its ▁intended ▁function ▁or ▁any ▁other ▁function ▁for ▁which ▁it ▁is ▁or ▁can ▁be ▁expected ▁to ▁be ▁author ized , ▁including ▁fragments ▁and ▁parts ▁there of ". ▁ ▁Space ▁de br is ▁is ▁class ified ▁by ▁size ▁and ▁oper ational ▁purpose , ▁and ▁divided ▁into ▁four ▁main ▁subsets : ▁in active ▁pay loads , ▁oper ational ▁de br is , ▁fragment ation ▁de br is ▁and ▁mic rop art ic ulate ▁matter . ▁In active ▁pay loads ▁refer ▁to ▁any ▁launched ▁space ▁objects ▁that ▁have ▁lost ▁the ▁cap ability ▁to ▁re connect ▁to ▁its ▁corresponding ▁space ▁operator ; ▁thus , ▁prevent ing ▁a ▁return ▁to ▁Earth . ▁In ▁contrast , ▁oper ational ▁de br is ▁describes ▁the ▁matter ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁prop ulsion ▁of ▁a ▁larger ▁entity ▁into ▁space , ▁which ▁may ▁include ▁upper ▁ro cket ▁stages ▁and ▁e ject ed ▁nose ▁con es . ▁Fragment ation ▁de br is ▁refers ▁to ▁any ▁object ▁in ▁space ▁that ▁has ▁become ▁dis