Space debris encompasses both natural meteoroid and artificial (human-made) orbital debris. Meteoroids are in orbit about the sun, while most artificial debris is in orbit about the Earth (hence the term “orbital” debris). Orbital debris is the term for any object in Earth orbit that no longer serves a useful function. These objects include non-operational spacecraft, derelict launch vehicle stages, mission-related debris, and fragmentation debris. NASA - Orbital Debris Management and Risk Mitigation