Litterbugs in Space!

Folk seem to fire as much junk into space as they like. In 2022, circa 6000 satellites were in orbit. It's now predicted that, by 2030, there may be 60,000. There are also now almost 37,000 objects, more than 10cm in size, circling the planet. These lethal objects can be tracked, with the hope of avoiding collisions. In addition, however, there are circa 1 million items, in orbit, between 1 and 10cm. These are untrackable but can be just as lethal (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/oct/19/humanity-would-watch-helplessly-as-space-junk-multiplies-uncontrollably-has-the-number-of-satellite-launches-reached-a-tipping-point). The junk circling the planet makes space exploration more dangerous. It also makes astronomy difficult and damages the UV-protective ozone layer. The laws around what can be fired into space are almost 50 years old. They are also generally ignored by governments and commercial organisations. Just another example of how our species fails to worry about the longer term consequences of its actions?