What happens to satellites that cannot communicate anymore?

In one line

The rule

Satellites that lose communication are called defunct satellites and become part of space debris (space junk). They stay in orbit until they naturally fall back to Earth or are moved away.

Let's understand it simply

Imagine you have a remote-controlled car. If the remote stops working, the car just sits where it is. In space, if a satellite stops talking to Earth, we cannot control it anymore. But, unlike the car, the satellite keeps moving around Earth because there is no air to slow it down. It becomes like a lost cricket ball on the roof—no one can use it, but it is still there.

How it works

1. A satellite loses contact with Earth (because of broken parts, old age, or battery failure).
2. We cannot send it new commands or control it anymore.
3. It keeps moving in its path (orbit) because of inertia (an object's habit of staying as it is).
4. It becomes space debris (space junk).
5. Over many years, some fall back and burn up in the atmosphere, while others stay in space for a long time.

The story behind it

The problem of space junk started in the early days of space travel. The first satellites were not designed to be removed after use. As more countries launched satellites, the number of dead satellites grew. Now, scientists worry about too much junk making space travel dangerous.

Where you see it in real life

• Old TV satellites: Some Indian TV satellites from the 1990s are now dead and still orbiting Earth.
• Weather satellites: When they stop working, they become space junk but still circle the planet.
• Rocket parts: Pieces left after launching satellites also become space debris.
• ISRO's old satellites: Some Indian satellites, like Aryabhata, are now just silent objects in space.

Why it matters

• Space junk can hit working satellites and damage them.
• Too much junk makes it risky to launch new satellites or rockets.
• It can fall back to Earth, but most burn up safely in the air.
• Scientists are working on ways to clean up space junk for safer space missions.

Common mistakes

• Thinking satellites "fall down" as soon as they stop working. In reality, they stay in orbit for years.
• Believing all space junk is dangerous to people on Earth. Most burn up before reaching the ground.
• Forgetting that even small pieces of junk can damage working satellites.

Remember it

Dead satellites become space junk and keep circling Earth until they burn up or are removed.