All articles tagged with #space debris
Space debris in low Earth orbit is increasing, forcing satellites to perform more collision-avoidance maneuvers. Each maneuver uses fuel and can degrade data from climate-observing satellites (Aqua, Terra, Aura), potentially erasing long-running climate records. As debris grows, collision risk rises and insurability drops, pressuring public agencies and private operators to safeguard vital science data.
An astronaut aboard the International Space Station photographed a bright fireball streaking through the upper atmosphere on April 27, 2026; the source is unclear—could be debris, a rocket body, a satellite, or meteoric material—though Progress 95 was not involved. NASA notes debris in the thermosphere can reenter and burn up due to atmospheric drag, with observations captured by a Nikon Z9 and shared via the Crew Earth Observations program.
Rising space launches and heat-resistant carbon-fiber materials are allowing larger debris to survive atmospheric reentry, increasing debris reaching Earth and prompting researchers and policymakers to pursue safer design approaches and tighter regulations to protect people and property.
A 36-year study of 17 debris objects in low Earth orbit shows that when solar activity rises to a certain level, heating of the thermosphere expands the atmosphere and increases drag, causing debris to lose altitude faster. The researchers identify a transition threshold near two-thirds of solar maximum and note stronger extreme ultraviolet emissions around solar peaks, with practical implications for satellite operators who may need more frequent orbit corrections and greater fuel reserves during active solar phases.
Two Russian military satellites, COSMOS 2581 and COSMOS 2583, came within about three metres of each other during a proximity manoeuvre in low Earth orbit (around 585 kilometres altitude), a complex pass tracked by COMSPOC and described as sophisticated. The event, linked to Russia’s inspector-satellite program, highlights risks from space debris and potential collisions in crowded orbits, with experts noting such precise, non-cooperative passes are impressive but not unprecedented and warning that debris could trigger cascading collisions (Kessler syndrome). Russia has not disclosed the satellites’ exact purpose; reports also mention a sub-satellite dubbed Object F.
A SpaceX booster, designated 2025-010D, is predicted to collide with the Moon on August 5, 2026, at about 5,400 mph. The trajectory accounts for gravity from Earth, the Sun, and the Moon and solar radiation pressure; the impact is unlikely to be visible from Earth, but Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter imagery is expected to confirm the collision. The event echoes earlier debris encounters like China's Chang’e 5-T1 crash.
Portal Space Systems and Paladin Space announced a joint plan to offer Debris Removal as a Service (DRAAS) to remove multiple orbital debris objects in low Earth orbit, using Portal’s maneuverable Starburst spacecraft and Paladin’s Triton imaging/capture payload. Starburst-1 is slated for a late-2026 SpaceX Transporter-18 mission, with commercial operations targeted for 2027 and backing from a $50 million Series A funding round. The effort aims to make debris cleanup more cost-effective by removing dozens of small debris pieces per mission, as the orbital junk environment—some 130 million pieces strong—continues to threaten space infrastructure.
An independent astronomer predicts a portion of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 upper stage, launched in early 2025 to loft a lunar lander, will crash into the Moon’s near side on August 5, 2026 at about 2.43 km/s (roughly 5,400 mph) after a year in Earth orbit; the impact would be too faint to observe, poses no risk to Earth, and highlights concerns about space junk disposal.
With the U.S. and China racing to return to the Moon, rockets are leaving debris on the lunar surface, including a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage expected to strike near Einstein crater in August 2026. The piece notes past lunar hardware from Apollo missions, cites the Outer Space Treaty’s ban on harmful contamination (with limited enforcement), and warns that as permanent lunar bases approach, directing stages into solar orbit could prevent turning the Moon into a space junkyard.
A Princeton-led study warns that a strong solar geomagnetic storm could sever communications with satellites, preventing orbital maneuvers and potentially triggering a rapid cascade of collisions in low-Earth orbit within about 2.8 days, underscoring the fragility of the largely Starlink-led network and the need for constant, precise control to avoid debris-related chaos.
Astronomers project that a spent Falcon 9 upper stage from SpaceX’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 will impact the Moon on August 5, near Einstein crater on the western limb, at about 2:44 a.m. ET. The roughly 4,000-kg stage has been in a highly elliptical Earth orbit (~26 days) since January 2025; timing and location are expected to be refined with more observations. The impact would occur at roughly 2.43 km/s (about 8,700 km/h) and is not expected to be visible from Earth or pose any risk. The U.S. Space Force tracks the object, with 1,053 observations recorded as of February 2026, marking a rare instance of an artificial object hitting the Moon.
New research introduces the CRASH Clock to estimate how quickly a serious, debris-generating collision could occur in crowded low-Earth orbit if satellites lose control; using June 2025 data, a loss of command for avoidance could trigger a catastrophic collision in about 2.8 days, with a broader version at 5.5 days and a far longer 164-day gap in 2018. The risk is heightened by megaconstellations such as Starlink, which perform thousands of maneuvers, and by solar storms that expand Earth's atmosphere and disrupt tracking, making collision assessments harder and potentially leading to rapid debris growth in a Carrington-scale event.
A California startup Reflect Orbital plans to launch about 4,000 sky mirrors into a sun-synchronous orbit to reflect sunlight onto Earth after dusk, aiming to brighten cities and energy sites while raising concerns about interference with astronomy, effects on wildlife and human sleep, and the risks of space debris; regulators may require environmental reviews and global standards before any deployment, with the first Earendil-1 satellite targeted for 2026 demonstrations.
Astroscale Japan announced ISSA-J1, a private mission planned for 2027 to rendezvous with and inspect two defunct satellites in separate orbits—ALOS (launched 2006) and ADEOS-II (launched 2002)—using proximity operations and imaging to diagnose failures and demonstrate multi-object on-orbit inspection, following ADRAS-J and paving the way for future on-orbit servicing and debris-removal missions such as ELSA-M.
TransAstra plans to fund a study for a mission to capture a 100-ton, house-sized asteroid and relocate it near Earth for processing and propellant production, potentially as early as 2028 under the 'New Moon' project; the plan relies on a large capture bag whose scale-up has NASA backing, with ambitions to use off-Earth resources to sustain a future space-based mining and manufacturing facility, while the bag may also help clear orbital debris.