Space Debris

by Jason Rainbow — August 11, 2022 Debris-removal startup Astroscale's exhibition booth at Small Satellite Conference 2022 in Logan, Utah. LOGAN, Utah — An inquiry into updating rules around space debris and emerging on-orbit services seeks to position the U.S. as a leader in an emerging space economy. The Federal…

Home News Spaceflight A Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink satellites blasted off on July 17, 2022. (Image credit: SpaceX) SpaceX's Starlink constellation faced a Russian space debris "squall" on Aug. 6, according to a media report. SpaceX satellites in the Starlink constellation came close to debris generated by a Russian…

As close calls between satellites and debris in orbit become more frequent, the U.S. government is signaling that it's time to take the threats posed by space junk seriously. Why it matters: There are thousands of pieces of space junk circling the Earth at more than 17,000 miles per hour,…

India's small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV) made a spectacular debut launch on Sunday, but the mission fell short of overall success when two satellites were inserted into the incorrect orbit, rendering them space junk. The SSLV was developed to carry payloads of up to 500kg to low Earth orbits on…

History remembers October 4, 1957, a lot better than it remembers January 4, 1958—though in recent weeks, the second date is coming to loom larger than the first. October 4, 1957, was the day the Soviet Union Launched Sputnik—the world’s first satellite—an achievement that heralded the start of the space…

Home News Science & Astronomy A piece of presumed space debris sits upright in a field in Australia. (Image credit: Brad Tucker, Author provided)This article was originally published at The Conversation. (opens in new tab) The publication contributed the article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Fabian Zander (opens in new tab),…

SYDNEY: A charred chunk of space junk found jutting from a paddock by an Australian sheep farmer was confirmed to be part of one of Elon Musk’s SpaceX missions by authorities Thursday. The ethereal-looking debris, believed to have plummeted to Earth on July 9, was found last week in Dalgety…

Three pieces of space junk found in Australia have been linked to a mission by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, the country’s space agency said. “The agency has confirmed the debris is from a SpaceX mission and continues to engage with our counterparts in the U.S., as well as other parts of…

Illustration of debris reentering. Image: PaulFleet via Getty Images ABSTRACT breaks down mind-bending scientific research, future tech, new discoveries, and major breakthroughs. Rocket debris from two different orbital missions has come crashing down to Earth in recent weeks, ending up in rural Australia and off the coast of the Philippines,…

Remnants of a Chinese rocket launched last week hurtled back into Earth’s atmosphere on Sunday, prompting a stern rebuke from the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) over how Beijing handles its space junk. The Chinese Manned Space Agency said in a post on Weibo that most of…