Junkspace app for iPhone and iPad

JUNKSPACE is a time- and location-sensitive App that superimposes two forms of waste, one earth-bound (electronic waste) and the other celestial (orbital debris).

Orbital debris is any man-made object in orbit around the Earth which no longer serves a useful purpose, left behind by decades of satellites and space missions.

E-waste are the remnants of the many devices that fill our lives, transformed from objects of desire to trash through a self-perpetuating cycle of obsolescence.

Using tracking data published by NORAD, the device’s accelerometer, GPS, and compass, the movement of e-waste on screen aligns with the orbital path of actual pieces of debris in orbit above the user’s location.

Currently, there are approximately 20,000 objects 10cm and larger in orbit that are being tracked by NORAD, although there are millions more smaller pieces of debris.

As a piece of e-waste moves across the center of the screen, the satellite/rocket name appears at the bottom of the screen.

Tapping the name will connect you to a database of information on the originating satellite/rocket, including date of launch, sponsoring country, and purpose.

To use Junkspace, point your phone towards the sky. In the background you will see the sun, stars and a horizon line to help orient your view.

The objects look like they are moving very slowly – this is because they are hundreds of miles away. Most debris orbits the earth several times per day.

Updates will be regular; we will update the satellite data as NORAD makes updates to its database.