Orbital Debris
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Space Particle Collision Raises Uncertainty Over Spain’s New Military Satellite
Spain’s military communications satellite, SpainSat NG-2, was struck by a space particle while moving toward geostationary orbit. The incident occurred at an unusually high altitude, and the damage remains unknown. Operators have activated contingency plans as engineers assess whether the €2 billion mission can still be completed.
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Rising Space Debris Threatens Earth As Chinese Shenzhou-20 Incident Highlights Orbital Risks
Moriba Jah, a space debris expert and professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said the incident highlights the growing dangers in orbit.
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Google’s Space-Based AI Data Centre Plan Faces Collision Risks in an Increasingly Crowded Orbit
Google’s Project Suncatcher aims to build a solar-powered AI data center in space. Experts warn the crowded Sun-synchronous orbit poses high collision risks from space debris, and without autonomous safeguards, even a single impact could trigger a cascade, scattering millions of fragments. This project underscores the urgent need for orbital debr...
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Failing Starlink Satellite Photographed in Orbit Before Fiery Reentry
A SpaceX Starlink satellite suffered a major in-orbit failure in December 2025, losing communication after venting its fuel tank and beginning an uncontrolled orbital descent. The malfunction caused the satellite’s altitude to drop and produced minor debris, prompting close tracking by SpaceX, NASA and the U.S. Space Force. High-resolution imager...
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Starlink Satellite Breaks Apart in Orbit, Begins Uncontrolled Fall Toward Earth After SpaceX Anomaly
A SpaceX Starlink satellite is tumbling toward Earth after an orbital anomaly caused partial breakup and loss of contact. The company says the spacecraft will safely burn up during reentry, while the incident highlights increasing space safety concerns as satellite numbers continue to grow rapidly.
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In Rare Accident, Musk's Starlink Lost Communication With One Of Its Satellite
SpaceX's Starlink said one of its satellites experienced an anomaly in space on Wednesday that created a "small number" of debris and cut off communications with the spacecraft at 418 km (259.73 miles) in altitude, a rare kinetic accident in orbit
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Solar Storm Could Trigger Satellite Collisions In Some Conditions: Study
A new study warns that a major solar storm could disable satellite controls and trigger cascading collisions in low Earth orbit within about three days.
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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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Space Particle Collision Raises Uncertainty Over Spain’s New Military Satellite
Spain’s military communications satellite, SpainSat NG-2, was struck by a space particle while moving toward geostationary orbit. The incident occurred at an unusually high altitude, and the damage remains unknown. Operators have activated contingency plans as engineers assess whether the €2 billion mission can still be completed.
-
Rising Space Debris Threatens Earth As Chinese Shenzhou-20 Incident Highlights Orbital Risks
Moriba Jah, a space debris expert and professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said the incident highlights the growing dangers in orbit.
-
Google’s Space-Based AI Data Centre Plan Faces Collision Risks in an Increasingly Crowded Orbit
Google’s Project Suncatcher aims to build a solar-powered AI data center in space. Experts warn the crowded Sun-synchronous orbit poses high collision risks from space debris, and without autonomous safeguards, even a single impact could trigger a cascade, scattering millions of fragments. This project underscores the urgent need for orbital debr...
-
Failing Starlink Satellite Photographed in Orbit Before Fiery Reentry
A SpaceX Starlink satellite suffered a major in-orbit failure in December 2025, losing communication after venting its fuel tank and beginning an uncontrolled orbital descent. The malfunction caused the satellite’s altitude to drop and produced minor debris, prompting close tracking by SpaceX, NASA and the U.S. Space Force. High-resolution imager...
-
Starlink Satellite Breaks Apart in Orbit, Begins Uncontrolled Fall Toward Earth After SpaceX Anomaly
A SpaceX Starlink satellite is tumbling toward Earth after an orbital anomaly caused partial breakup and loss of contact. The company says the spacecraft will safely burn up during reentry, while the incident highlights increasing space safety concerns as satellite numbers continue to grow rapidly.
-
In Rare Accident, Musk's Starlink Lost Communication With One Of Its Satellite
SpaceX's Starlink said one of its satellites experienced an anomaly in space on Wednesday that created a "small number" of debris and cut off communications with the spacecraft at 418 km (259.73 miles) in altitude, a rare kinetic accident in orbit
-
Solar Storm Could Trigger Satellite Collisions In Some Conditions: Study
A new study warns that a major solar storm could disable satellite controls and trigger cascading collisions in low Earth orbit within about three days.
-
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.
