The amount of space junk around Earth has hit a critical point -- and it could jeopardize our space missions

There are almost 30,000 man-made objects orbiting Earth. Many are tiny pieces of rockets and satellites, while others are completelydead satellites not in use anymore. All of them pose risks to other spacecraft and satellites -- and as access to space becomes more affordable, the risk of a chain reaction of satellites crashing into one another will continue to increase. Follow Tech Insider: On Facebook