Earth has a single natural satellite—our Moon. But tens of thousands of artificial satellites have been sent into orbit. And most of them remain, revolving around Earth at various altitudes.
Nearly half of the artificial satellites in orbit carry a payload. Often, these are in the form of sensors for observation, systems like GPS, and other scientific instruments. A small portion, about eight percent, consists of the rocket bodies used to propel such instruments into space. But more than 40 percent of the satellites in Earth’s orbit are space debris: defunct instruments and other materials that have been discarded and left in an orbital graveyard. Most satellites and debris originate from the United States. This map submission comes from Devin Lavigne, Jack Lavigne, and Rob Stauder of Houseal Lavigne.
Data for this graphic comes from multiple sources, including those from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and TheSpaceReport.org.
The complete infographic also includes a map of Earth’s spaceports and rocket launch sites. It indicates the sites that are operational (green), closed (red), sites planned for future launches (purple), and others (yellow). Launchpads and other sites are present on every continent, and numerous sites are located in the oceans. Additional maps and graphics display information about successful missions to the Moon by country, and which nations have signed the Moon Treaty.
Together, these graphics and maps showcase an elegant and cohesive overview of spacebound ambitions. It also underscores the necessary and grim reality that anything we send into space is likely to remain there, at least for some time. What goes up does not always come down.
More to Explore
- Learn how NASA uses a constellation of satellites to track Earth’s vital signs.
- See who is in space right now.
- Learn more about space debris from NASA’s Orbital Debris Program Office.
