"Space Debris Threat: ISS Batteries and Junk Pose Risk to Earth"
Space junk, a discarded equipment pallet from the International Space Station in 2021, reentered Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean on March 8, 2024, with around half a ton of fragments likely hitting the Earth's surface. The increasing issue of space junk in near-Earth orbit, with over 37,000 pieces of debris larger than a softball currently orbiting Earth, poses a significant challenge as more countries and private companies enter space.