The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has fined Dish Network $150,000 for failing to move the retired satellite EchoStar-7 far enough from satellites still in use. This incident highlights the issue of space debris, including abandoned satellites and spacecraft fragments, in Earth’s orbit.

Launched in 2002, Dish’s EchoStar-7 occupied a geostationary orbit at 22,000 miles (36,000km) above Earth. Dish was instructed to relocate the satellite 186 miles further away from Earth, however, by the end of its operational life in 2022, it had moved only 76 miles farther from Earth due to fuel depletion.

Over 10,000 satellites have been launched into space since 1957, and over half are now inactive. NASA reports over 25,000+ pieces of space debris measuring over 10 cm are currently in orbit. NASA chief Bill Nelson emphasized this “major problem” of space junk, necessitating procedures to protect the International Space Station from flying debris.