Orbital Debris
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Asteroid 2024 YR4: Earth Safe, but New Data Shows Small 2032 Lunar Impact Risk
Asteroid 2024 YR4 has been cleared as an Earth threat, but updated observations show a small chance it could hit the Moon in 2032. Space agencies are monitoring the asteroid closely, expecting new data to narrow uncertainties and determine whether the lunar-impact probability will drop or rise.
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California Startup Designs Giant Inflatable Bag To Catch Asteroids And Space Debris. How It Works
TransAstra has designed and tested the Capture Bag - an inflatable device available in various sizes, capable of capturing objects ranging from small rocks to boulder-sized asteroids
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Rising Satellite Traffic in Low Earth Orbit Sparks Collision Risk Concerns
A new study in Acta Astronautica warns that Low Earth Orbit is becoming dangerously congested. Since 2019, the number of satellites performing more than ten collision-avoidance maneuvers per month has risen sevenfold. With nearly 25,000 tracked objects and more launches planned, scientists fear a chain-reaction risk and call for stronger global coo...
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Chinese Astronauts Strengthen Tiangong’s Defenses Against Space Debris
On Aug. 15, Chinese astronauts Chen Dong and Wang Jie completed a 6.5-hour spacewalk to strengthen the Tiangong space station’s defenses against orbital debris. Working outside the station, they installed new protective panels and inspected external systems. The mission marked Chen Dong’s sixth career EVA—the most by a Chinese astronaut—and...
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Mysterious Planet Nine May Still Lurk in the Outer Solar System
Astronomers have long speculated about a hidden planet—Planet Nine—lurking beyond Neptune. First proposed in 2016, the theory explains the strange orbits of distant Kuiper Belt objects through the gravitational pull of a massive, unseen world. Caltech researchers remain confident, while others suggest alternatives like debris rings or even a bl...
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Glaciers On Mars Are Mostly Water Ice, Study Finds
Scientists used the SHAllow RADar (SHARAD) instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to study the glaciers.
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Massive Boulders Ejected by DART Mission Could Complicate Future Asteroid Deflection
NASA’s DART mission successfully deflected an asteroid but also unleashed high-velocity boulders with unexpected momentum. These chaotic ejecta may alter asteroid spin and orbit, complicating future deflection strategies. A new study highlights the importance of accounting for such forces in planetary defence. ESA’s Hera mission will further in...
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NASA and ISRO Confirm Japan’s Moon Lander Resilience Crashed at Mare Frigoris
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and India’s Chandrayaan-2 have captured images confirming the crash of Japan’s Resilience lander on the Moon’s Mare Frigoris. Contact with the lander was lost 100 seconds before its June 5 touchdown. New photos reveal a dark impact mark and scattered debris.
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Soviet Venus Probe Kosmos-482 Re-enters Earth’s Atmosphere After 52 Years, Location Unclear
A failed Soviet Venus probe from 1972 re-entered Earth’s atmosphere in May, yet tracking its final descent baffled experts. Despite decades of observation, differing models and unpredictable atmospheric conditions prevented precise predictions. Scientists now see Kosmos-482 as a case study in the enduring challenges of satellite reentry and the n...
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'City-Killer' Asteroid May Hit Moon, Hurl Deadly Debris Toward Earth
Asteroid 2024 YR4 might collide with the Moon in 2031, with a 4.3% chance of impact, according to NASA's updated calculations.
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As Satellite Numbers Soar, Experts Warn Earth's Space May Soon Hit Its Limit
Experts predict that the number of active satellites could climb to 100,000 before stabilising.
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NASA's James Webb Telescope Spots Frozen Water In Distant Star System For The First Time
Crystalline water ice has been found in a dusty debris disk that orbits a Sun-like star, only 23 million years old, 155 light-years away.
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Soviet Venus Lander Kosmos 482 Crashes to Earth After 53 Years in Orbit
Off-page Excerpt: Kosmos 482, a failed Soviet Venus lander launched in 1972, finally fell to Earth on May 10 after 53 years in orbit. Reentry estimates vary, but experts believe the probe likely splashed into the Indian Ocean. Designed to withstand Venus’s atmosphere, it may have reached Earth’s surface intact, renewing global concerns over un...
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Scientists Chase Falling Satellite to Study Atmospheric Pollution from Spacecraft Reentries
In a rare airborne mission, scientists chased ESA's Cluster Salsa satellite as it reentered Earth's atmosphere. The fiery descent revealed emissions of lithium, potassium, and aluminum—chemicals that could impact the ozone layer and climate. With satellite reentries increasing, researchers aim to improve pollution models and plan further tracking...
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Cold War-Era Soviet Spacecraft Expected To Crash Back To Earth In May 2025
A 50-year-old Soviet-era spacecraft, Kosmos 482, is set to crash back to Earth in May 2025, with its fate uncertain, sparking concerns about potential damage or impact.
-
Asteroid 2024 YR4: Earth Safe, but New Data Shows Small 2032 Lunar Impact Risk
Asteroid 2024 YR4 has been cleared as an Earth threat, but updated observations show a small chance it could hit the Moon in 2032. Space agencies are monitoring the asteroid closely, expecting new data to narrow uncertainties and determine whether the lunar-impact probability will drop or rise.
-
California Startup Designs Giant Inflatable Bag To Catch Asteroids And Space Debris. How It Works
TransAstra has designed and tested the Capture Bag - an inflatable device available in various sizes, capable of capturing objects ranging from small rocks to boulder-sized asteroids
-
Rising Satellite Traffic in Low Earth Orbit Sparks Collision Risk Concerns
A new study in Acta Astronautica warns that Low Earth Orbit is becoming dangerously congested. Since 2019, the number of satellites performing more than ten collision-avoidance maneuvers per month has risen sevenfold. With nearly 25,000 tracked objects and more launches planned, scientists fear a chain-reaction risk and call for stronger global coo...
-
Chinese Astronauts Strengthen Tiangong’s Defenses Against Space Debris
On Aug. 15, Chinese astronauts Chen Dong and Wang Jie completed a 6.5-hour spacewalk to strengthen the Tiangong space station’s defenses against orbital debris. Working outside the station, they installed new protective panels and inspected external systems. The mission marked Chen Dong’s sixth career EVA—the most by a Chinese astronaut—and...
-
Mysterious Planet Nine May Still Lurk in the Outer Solar System
Astronomers have long speculated about a hidden planet—Planet Nine—lurking beyond Neptune. First proposed in 2016, the theory explains the strange orbits of distant Kuiper Belt objects through the gravitational pull of a massive, unseen world. Caltech researchers remain confident, while others suggest alternatives like debris rings or even a bl...
-
Glaciers On Mars Are Mostly Water Ice, Study Finds
Scientists used the SHAllow RADar (SHARAD) instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to study the glaciers.
-
Massive Boulders Ejected by DART Mission Could Complicate Future Asteroid Deflection
NASA’s DART mission successfully deflected an asteroid but also unleashed high-velocity boulders with unexpected momentum. These chaotic ejecta may alter asteroid spin and orbit, complicating future deflection strategies. A new study highlights the importance of accounting for such forces in planetary defence. ESA’s Hera mission will further in...
-
NASA and ISRO Confirm Japan’s Moon Lander Resilience Crashed at Mare Frigoris
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and India’s Chandrayaan-2 have captured images confirming the crash of Japan’s Resilience lander on the Moon’s Mare Frigoris. Contact with the lander was lost 100 seconds before its June 5 touchdown. New photos reveal a dark impact mark and scattered debris.
-
Soviet Venus Probe Kosmos-482 Re-enters Earth’s Atmosphere After 52 Years, Location Unclear
A failed Soviet Venus probe from 1972 re-entered Earth’s atmosphere in May, yet tracking its final descent baffled experts. Despite decades of observation, differing models and unpredictable atmospheric conditions prevented precise predictions. Scientists now see Kosmos-482 as a case study in the enduring challenges of satellite reentry and the n...
-
'City-Killer' Asteroid May Hit Moon, Hurl Deadly Debris Toward Earth
Asteroid 2024 YR4 might collide with the Moon in 2031, with a 4.3% chance of impact, according to NASA's updated calculations.
-
As Satellite Numbers Soar, Experts Warn Earth's Space May Soon Hit Its Limit
Experts predict that the number of active satellites could climb to 100,000 before stabilising.
-
NASA's James Webb Telescope Spots Frozen Water In Distant Star System For The First Time
Crystalline water ice has been found in a dusty debris disk that orbits a Sun-like star, only 23 million years old, 155 light-years away.
-
Soviet Venus Lander Kosmos 482 Crashes to Earth After 53 Years in Orbit
Off-page Excerpt: Kosmos 482, a failed Soviet Venus lander launched in 1972, finally fell to Earth on May 10 after 53 years in orbit. Reentry estimates vary, but experts believe the probe likely splashed into the Indian Ocean. Designed to withstand Venus’s atmosphere, it may have reached Earth’s surface intact, renewing global concerns over un...
-
Scientists Chase Falling Satellite to Study Atmospheric Pollution from Spacecraft Reentries
In a rare airborne mission, scientists chased ESA's Cluster Salsa satellite as it reentered Earth's atmosphere. The fiery descent revealed emissions of lithium, potassium, and aluminum—chemicals that could impact the ozone layer and climate. With satellite reentries increasing, researchers aim to improve pollution models and plan further tracking...
-
Cold War-Era Soviet Spacecraft Expected To Crash Back To Earth In May 2025
A 50-year-old Soviet-era spacecraft, Kosmos 482, is set to crash back to Earth in May 2025, with its fate uncertain, sparking concerns about potential damage or impact.
