Space debris

Earth's orbit about 20,000 objects larger ball, of which only 5% - space satellites and other operating facilities. Another 19 000 - space debris.
A long time ago, it was predicted that, having reached a certain amount, the subsequent replenishment of debris - the growth in its population and the likelihood of falling into the functioning space objects - will be self-sufficient, even if the further generation garbage men stop. This scenario is known as the Kessler Syndrome, possible due to collisions like what happened in 2009, when the debris hit the first operational satellites, "giving birth to" a lot of secondary debris (more than 2000 only such that we can detect the radar).
But the question is: when will trigger a domino effect? Exactly when flying in low earth orbits will resemble streets of besieged Leningrad marked "This side is dangerous in attack"? Taken by NASA commissioned study conducted by a group of industry experts led by Darren McKnight of Integrity Applications, found that there are two options: either to divert the mass defective satellites in lower orbits closer to the atmosphere in which they should be burned, or improve collision avoidance system to out with modern flight control.
Height of 860 km: 160 000 pounds. Some orbits are not safe right now, but the effect Kessler can permanently "close" them. (Figure Darren McKnight, Patrick Dingman.) Unfortunately, both options still do not have technological support. Simply put, here and now nothing can be done: first, to develop appropriate technologies. The first way also requires a minimum of hundreds of billions of dollars of costs only in this century, but who will give the money? NASA (by American standards), impoverished, Roscosmos ... No, this version of the ridiculous and will not comment. "United humanity" can not even agree on how to bomb him to Syria / Iran, or wait a little bit, to say nothing of such far from the mind of politicians matters as space debris ...
Yet experts radiate optimism. The most powerful promoter cleaning orbit may be purely financial interest of space agencies, to be exact - the greed of their insurers. Now the insurance object in orbit is 1.5% of its value in a year. Only a small part of that percentage refers to the danger of collision with space debris: crash for spacecraft until much worse. However, it is estimated that already in low Earth orbit there are areas where the probability of death only spacecraft debris from above 1.5% per year. So sooner or later, the rising cost of insurance would be so high that prevent efforts to clean up will not succeed.
Unfortunately, as the authors of the study, if it happens later, the cost of such work would be enormous, which will cause irreparable damage to the industry space flight in general.