Not only does it put astronauts at risk, but Kessler syndrome could also greatly complicate future space exploration efforts by turning the planet’s orbit into a whirling vortex of death. As of October 30, the company has around 9,000 functioning satellites in orbit, representing over 60 percent of all active satellites currently orbiting the Earth. “The satellite is largely intact, tumbling, and will reenter the Earth’s atmosphere and fully demise within weeks,” the company tweeted. And it’s not just a massive increase in the risk of a potentially disastrous collision that we have to worry about. More on space debris: Space Junk Now Almost Constantly Crashing Down to Earth