 More than half of the tracked debris orbits the Earth with a mean altitude above , so they would likely remain in orbit for decades or centuries.Based on 2009 and 2013 calculations of solar flux, the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office estimated that around 30% of the larger-than- debris would still be in orbit in 2035.In April 2011, debris from the Chinese test passed 6 km away from the International Space Station.