Another issue that affects both the military and the civilian sectors is space debris, which results from all space activities. A failure to mitigate the accumulation of debris will have devastating effects on both communities. With more than 9,000 objects over 10 centimeters in size already being tracked in various orbits by U.S. Space Command, the debris problem is an increasing concern. The expected overall growth in space activity, and possible U.S. and foreign ASAT tests, will further heighten the danger of collisions that could be fatal to satellites or spacecraft. Even the United States lacks the capability to track 'micro-debris' particles that can do considerable damage but are less than 10 centimeters in length (and which may now number more than 100,000). Arguably, the lack of enforceable international debris mitigation rules represents the most serious long-term threat in space. There are emerging domestic and international efforts to address this problem, which?in contrast to almost all other areas of proposed space regulation?are supported by the Bush administration and the Pentagon.

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Moltz, James Clay. "Reining in the Space Cowboys." Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Vol. 59, No. 1 (January/February 2003). [ 2 quotes ]