With media headlines repeatedly warning us of debris falling from the skies, orbital debris, or “space junk,” has finally risen to the forefront of social consciousness. But what is space junk? How did it get there? Just how big (and serious) is the problem?

Space Junk, narrated by Academy Award® Nominee Tom Wilkinson, is the first movie to explore the exponentially expanding ring of debris that threatens the safety of our planet’s orbits. Director Melissa Butts takes us soaring, from the stunning depths of Meteor Crater to an unprecedented view of our increasingly crowded orbits, 22,000 miles above earth.

A special 23-minute version of Space Junk is showing in 3D at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. Click here for showtimes.