16. A Self-Inflicted Siege

The Kessler Effect could turn space around Earth into a scene right out of a sci-fi movie, but not the fun kind. Imagine one satellite breaking up after a collision, and suddenly, it’s a chain reaction. Those fragments smash into other satellites, creating even more debris, over and over, until a massive, swirling cloud of dangerous shrapnel encircles Earth.

This isn’t just about losing our satellite TV or weather forecasts; it’s about sealing off our planet from the rest of the universe. Navigating through this lethal barrier for any space mission could become impossible. It’s a sobering reminder of our fragile foothold in space.