Point Nemo is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and is based thousands of kilometers from any populated area. Not even the explorers who first found it could get here. No data on human beings, animals, birds, or any kind of living being. Nemo is where all the space trash ends up. The site is also famously known as the “graveyard of satellites”. The word Nemo is derived from a Latin term meaning ‘nothing’ or ‘nothingness’.
Its coordinates, 48°52.6’S 123°23.6’W, position Point Nemo in such a way that land cannot be seen for more than a thousand miles in any direction. One of the Pitcairn Islands in the north is the nearest land mass to the pole.
Nemo is isolated to the extent that the closest humans to it don’t live on Earth. At around 415 kilometers above the surface of the Earth, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are much closer to Point Nemo. More than 1,600 kilometers separate Point Nemo from the closest populated area.
By 2023, Japan will be able to launch satellites with minimal environmental impact. During early COVID-19, researchers from Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry were working on it. The research suggests that the satellite will be built from wood so that its decommissioning will not lead to any pollution in space. Japanese reports suggest that the ultimate haven of the satellite after being built is space.
It’s vital to remember that the amount of space trash is growing alarmingly quickly. Every country strives to be the dominant force in space. Satellites are launched often. Even after being damaged, they don’t recycle properly. According to NASA, the current space trash could eventually cause significant problems.
On Nemo, more than a hundred satellites have already been dropped off, and the International Space Station will join in 2031 when it starts to disassemble.
