karthik · updated · flag · 3

Collision cascading in space (Kessler syndrome) is what happens if the density of the space debris in the low earth orbit is high enough that one mishap could start a domino effect and cause more debris, eventually causing the rest of the satellites to collide with each other.

Ultimately, the additional debris from the collisions orbit the earth and render any future space expeditions impossible. Here’s a recent model of the current space debris status.