Space Debris

Physics Devices based on quantum properties of very cold and very small crystals could be mounted on satellites and sense space debris that could collide with them By Karmela Padavic-Callaghan There are thousands of small pieces of junk orbiting Earth (as well as thousands of satellites) Shutterstock/Dima Zel Sensors based…

Artist’s concept of ClearSpace’s spacecraft approaching a piece of space debris from a previous Vega rocket launch in 2013. Credit: ClearSpace Swiss-based in-orbit servicing startup ClearSpace has contracted Arianespace to launch its first debris removal mission to capture and deorbit a 100-kilogram (220-pound) piece of space debris. Europe’s Vega C…

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Story by Thomas Macaulay Senior reporter Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on deeptech, startups, and government policy. Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on deeptech, startups, and government policy. The first active removal…

COLORADO SPRINGS – It would cost a little under $4 million to retrieve the 24-kilogram Thor Altair rocket body from low-Earth orbit. The price tag for nabbing NASA’s defunct Cosmic Background Explorer, weighing in at 2245 kilograms, is $62.5 million, according to a deck of cards Kall Morris Inc. handed…

Home News Spaceflight An illustration of a object breaking up in Earth's orbit. (Image credit: European Space Agency) The fast-growing space debris issue is top of mind at a new space-focused division of the U.S. government. "Satellite and orbital debris rules" will be one of the primary responsibilities of the…

Aerospace companies and experts are calling on governments around the world to adopt a ‘highway code’ to help tackle the increasing problem of space junk. It is estimated there are more than 36,000 objects in space larger than 10cm, and 130million between 1mm and 1cm. All are moving at speeds…

Credit: ESA Since time immemorial, humans around the world have gazed up in wonder at the night sky. The starry night sky has not only inspired countless works of music, art and poetry, but has also played an important role in timekeeping, navigation and agricultural practices in many traditions. For…

The swift rise of internet satellites, forming megaconstellations, and accumulating space junk are already starting to mess with astronomers’ research. The problem is growing exponentially, scientists warn in a series of papers published recently in the journal Nature Astronomy. And they want regulators to do something about it. The swarm…

Weeks after a balloon, an “octagonal structure” and other flying objects put Americans on edge, the US is dealing with another mysterious phenomenon in the sky. On Friday night in Sacramento, St Patrick’s Day partiers spotted streaks of light blazing a path through the California night. A video posted to…