over 8700 satellites orbiting the earth, and over 16,000 in a state of decay.
You've got to be kidding! Surely those numbers need to be clarified a bit? I mean, about 2/3 of the stuff known to be orbiting Earth must my rocket parts and so on, not classical 'satellites' I would have assumed.
Seanie.
It is from the NASA Satellite Situation Report 1997, and is just "man made objects", which classify as satellites. So it would include rocket parts if they are in orbit, as they then become satellites of earth.
Celestron C8-N (200mm reflector)
Carl Zeiss 10x50's
-Amateur Astronomer, photographer, guitarist, and beer drinker-
  