When the multi-million-dollar satellites running our communications, GPS, radio and television services malfunction or run out of fuel, they are decommissioned. Depending on their proximity to Earth, they are either flown towards the atmosphere to burn up, or propelled to a region more than 23,600 miles (38,000 kilometers) away, known as the graveyard orbit, where the satellite’s remains won’t pose a threat to other spacecraft.
The problem with this system is that the technology onboard the satellite may be working, but it all gets tossed away with the spacecraft simply because repairs or refueling are not possible.