Space Debris

Thousands of satellites now orbit the Earth, providing communication, navigation and weather data.

如今有成千上万颗卫星环绕地球运行，提供通信、导航和气象数据。

Alongside them, however, is a growing cloud of debris left behind by earlier missions.

然而，与它们并存的，还有一团不断扩大的、由早期任务遗留下来的碎片云。

This includes broken satellites, discarded rocket parts and countless tiny fragments.

其中包括损坏的卫星、被丢弃的火箭部件和无数细小的碎片。

Travelling at enormous speeds, even a small piece can severely damage a spacecraft.

由于速度极快，即使一小块碎片也可能严重损坏航天器。

Each collision creates more fragments, increasing the risk of further accidents.

每一次碰撞都会产生更多碎片，增加了发生更多事故的风险。

Scientists fear this chain reaction could eventually make some orbits unusable.

科学家担心，这种连锁反应最终可能使某些轨道无法使用。

Engineers are developing methods to capture debris or guide it back into the atmosphere.

工程师正在研发捕获碎片或将其引导回大气层的方法。

New rules also require satellites to be removed once their missions end.

新规定还要求卫星在任务结束后予以清除。

Keeping space clean may prove as important as protecting our oceans.

保持太空清洁，可能与保护我们的海洋同样重要。