Washington Post: “The word “space” implies a lot of it: a near-infinite expanse of emptiness above the atmosphere of this crowded planet. Yet it turns out that the orbits along which rockets fly and from which satellites beam internet connectivity to Earth are a limited resource — and they’re becoming more crowded every day. The Federal Communications Commission last month issued the first-ever fine for what’s known as space junk, against the Dish Network. The satellite television company failed to dispose properly of one of its satellites, leaving it at a lower orbit than it promised when securing its license. What’s remarkable isn’t the transgression, but the penalty. Today, countries and companies alike sending objects into space are mostly held to standards lower than the average kindergartner. They’re allowed to make a mess, and they’re not really required to pick up after themselves…About 8,000 active satellites move through low Earth orbit. Their trajectory can be adjusted from Earth to avoid collision. But tens of thousands of large pieces of junk orbit out of control in the same area. Some are as big as a school bus…”