Europe’s Satellites Flying Blind as Space Junk Spreads

Europe’s Satellites Flying Blind as Space Junk Spreads
The first two satellites of Europe's Galileo navigation system are launched at the Guiana Space Center in Sinnamary, French Guiana, on Oct. 21, 2011. Benoit Tessier/File Photo/Reuters
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BERLIN—Europe needs its own technology to guard against a growing threat to its satellites from space junk ranging from dead satellites to tiny particles, according to a top adviser to the European Space Agency (ESA).

With the world becoming increasingly reliant on orbital infrastructure to maintain communications links and steer new generations of autonomous vehicles, scientists warn that the danger posed by debris in orbit has grown exponentially.