As countries and private companies ramp up space exploration, a study has found there is a real risk of people on Earth being killed by space junk.

A team of researchers have used more than 30 years of data to estimate there’s a 10 per cent chance at least one person will die from falling debris in the next decade.

Astronomer Brad Tucker told Laurel, Gary & Mark while the numbers seem worrisome, “it is a 10 per cent chance of one person out of the almost eight billion”.

He said while most junk burns up as it re-enters Earth’s atmosphere, rocket boosters present the real worry.

“They’re so big and so solid,” he said. “Not all of it breaks apart.

“There is a now real chance that one of these rockets coming down, comes back and actually lands on someone.

“We’ve kind of just been lucky that so far, no one’s really been hit.”

Press PLAY below to hear Brad Tucker explain why some seemingly obvious solutions aren’t so ideal

Image: Getty