#space-policy — Public Fediverse posts

"Our measurements reveal an average brightness seven times brighter than mitigation targets cited in FCC filings and peak values over 200 times brighter than the International Astronomical Union’s recommended threshold (V magnitude 7). Now, AST SpaceMobile is expected to deploy over 200 Block 2 satellites that are each three times larger (199 m2) which would be three times brighter than Block 1 (all else being equal), and regulations have not changed."

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1538-3873/ae8333/

#Space #Satellites #Astronomy #SpacePolicy

"Our measurements reveal an average brightness seven times brighter than mitigation targets cited in FCC filings and peak values over 200 times brighter than the International Astronomical Union’s recommended threshold (V magnitude 7). Now, AST SpaceMobile is expected to deploy over 200 Block 2 satellites that are each three times larger (199 m2) which would be three times brighter than Block 1 (all else being equal), and regulations have not changed."

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1538-3873/ae8333/

#Space #Satellites #Astronomy #SpacePolicy

"For now, people are more likely to be struck by lightning than by falling space junk. But those odds are shifting. Sean O’Keefe, a former NASA administrator, ... and other experts say that governments and companies should be compelled to use materials that will fully disintegrate. No such regulation exists."

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/31/world/asia/space-debris-falling-crashing-earth-risk.html

#Space #SpaceDebris #SpacePolicy #SpaceLaw #SpaceSustainability

"For now, people are more likely to be struck by lightning than by falling space junk. But those odds are shifting. Sean O’Keefe, a former NASA administrator, ... and other experts say that governments and companies should be compelled to use materials that will fully disintegrate. No such regulation exists."

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/31/world/asia/space-debris-falling-crashing-earth-risk.html

#Space #SpaceDebris #SpacePolicy #SpaceLaw #SpaceSustainability

"'They're saying we want to launch 50,000 mirrors by 2035,' Benvenuti said. 'That would be catastrophic for astronomy, that is clear.'"

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/reflect-orbital-approval-fcc-9.7287535

#Astronomy #ReflectOrbital #SunlightAsAService #FCC #SpacePolicy

"'They're saying we want to launch 50,000 mirrors by 2035,' Benvenuti said. 'That would be catastrophic for astronomy, that is clear.'"

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/reflect-orbital-approval-fcc-9.7287535

#Astronomy #ReflectOrbital #SunlightAsAService #FCC #SpacePolicy

"As agencies turn priorities on paper into budget decisions, Sargent said the risk is that an application-focused model optimizes away the undirected science that has historically produced the most valuable surprises. 'If you try to centrally plan too much, then you might miss out on the kind of randomness of discovery,” Sargent said."

https://payloadspace.com/space-sciences-golden-age-problem/

#Space #SpacePolicy

"As agencies turn priorities on paper into budget decisions, Sargent said the risk is that an application-focused model optimizes away the undirected science that has historically produced the most valuable surprises. 'If you try to centrally plan too much, then you might miss out on the kind of randomness of discovery,” Sargent said."

https://payloadspace.com/space-sciences-golden-age-problem/

#Space #SpacePolicy

#Amazon is asking the #FCC to approve 5,105 massive new #satellites while hiding their orbital debris risk models behind a wall of corporate secrecy. The public deserves full transparency, because a safe and sustainable space environment belongs to all of us — not just to the highest bidder.

https://spacenews.com/amazon-files-application-for-direct-to-device-satellite-constellation/

#Space #SpaceDebris #SpacePolicy

#Amazon is asking the #FCC to approve 5,105 massive new #satellites while hiding their orbital debris risk models behind a wall of corporate secrecy. The public deserves full transparency, because a safe and sustainable space environment belongs to all of us — not just to the highest bidder.

https://spacenews.com/amazon-files-application-for-direct-to-device-satellite-constellation/

#Space #SpaceDebris #SpacePolicy

"The U.S. Federal Communications Commission can single-handedly green-light massive spaceflight projects that could completely change the view of the night sky for the entire world. Despite the outcry these projects have caused, space law experts say there is very little other nations and the international community can do to thwart them if the FCC were to grant them licenses."

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/private-companies-could-ruin-the-night-sky-for-the-entire-world-and-international-law-cant-stop-them

#Space #SpacePolicy #SpaceLaw #Satellites

"The U.S. Federal Communications Commission can single-handedly green-light massive spaceflight projects that could completely change the view of the night sky for the entire world. Despite the outcry these projects have caused, space law experts say there is very little other nations and the international community can do to thwart them if the FCC were to grant them licenses."

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/private-companies-could-ruin-the-night-sky-for-the-entire-world-and-international-law-cant-stop-them

#Space #SpacePolicy #SpaceLaw #Satellites

Moving #AI #DataCenters to #space is high-altitude #greenwashing. We just filed comments urging the #FCC to reject Cowboy Space’s 20,000-satellite "Stampede" constellation. From stratospheric metallic pollution to escalating collision risks and threats to astronomy, the hazards of orbital computing are severe. The FCC must require a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Read our full comment: https://www.spaceenvironmentalism.org/actions/public-statements-and-comments/cowboy-space-odc-comment

#SpacePolicy #Astronomy #Sustainability #SpaceDebris

Moving #AI #DataCenters to #space is high-altitude #greenwashing. We just filed comments urging the #FCC to reject Cowboy Space’s 20,000-satellite "Stampede" constellation. From stratospheric metallic pollution to escalating collision risks and threats to astronomy, the hazards of orbital computing are severe. The FCC must require a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Read our full comment: https://www.spaceenvironmentalism.org/actions/public-statements-and-comments/cowboy-space-odc-comment

#SpacePolicy #Astronomy #Sustainability #SpaceDebris

Report: U.S. needs framework for responding to hostile acts in space

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://spacenews.com/report-u-s-needs-framework-for-responding-to-hostile-acts-in-space/

Report: U.S. needs framework for responding to hostile acts in space

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://spacenews.com/report-u-s-needs-framework-for-responding-to-hostile-acts-in-space/

Thanks to @bberwyn of @insideclimatenews for this great story about many of the issues that CSE works on.

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13062026/commercial-satellite-space-race-pollution/

#Space #SpaceEnvironment #SpacePolicy

Thanks to @bberwyn of @insideclimatenews for this great story about many of the issues that CSE works on.

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13062026/commercial-satellite-space-race-pollution/

#Space #SpaceEnvironment #SpacePolicy

This just-accepted proceedings paper from last year's Oxford XIII/IAU Symposium 399 conference digs into a topic I have been thinking about for years: who really has the right to do exactly what in outer space, and what is the basis for any such 'right'?

What I found in researching it is that what one culture sees as benign might be deeply offensive to another, and that humans continue to ignore the lessons of #history (often flagrantly and deliberately).

https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.17706

#Space #SpacePolicy #Moon #Indigenous

This just-accepted proceedings paper from last year's Oxford XIII/IAU Symposium 399 conference digs into a topic I have been thinking about for years: who really has the right to do exactly what in outer space, and what is the basis for any such 'right'?

What I found in researching it is that what one culture sees as benign might be deeply offensive to another, and that humans continue to ignore the lessons of #history (often flagrantly and deliberately).

https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.17706

#Space #SpacePolicy #Moon #Indigenous

We Believed History Had Ended. They Didn’t: https://dmimoun.substack.com/p/we-believed-history-had-ended-they - Mars, Kardashev, the Golden Dome, and the cognitive distance keeping French #SpacePolicy stuck in another century (breathless essay, worth a read).

We Believed History Had Ended. They Didn’t: https://dmimoun.substack.com/p/we-believed-history-had-ended-they - Mars, Kardashev, the Golden Dome, and the cognitive distance keeping French #SpacePolicy stuck in another century (breathless essay, worth a read).

The story of humanity in space is still being written, but the ink is drying fast.

CSE co-founders John Barentine and Aparna Venkatesan have published a new call to action in Frontiers in Space Technologies. They argue that we must look beyond outdated treaties to secure a just and sustainable future.

We have the agency to decide what happens next. Let’s build a future by design, not by default.

Read: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/space-technologies/articles/10.3389/frspt.2026.1748406/full

#SpaceEnvironmentalism #SpacePolicy #Astronomy #Stewardship

The story of humanity in space is still being written, but the ink is drying fast.

CSE co-founders John Barentine and Aparna Venkatesan have published a new call to action in Frontiers in Space Technologies. They argue that we must look beyond outdated treaties to secure a just and sustainable future.

We have the agency to decide what happens next. Let’s build a future by design, not by default.

Read: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/space-technologies/articles/10.3389/frspt.2026.1748406/full

#SpaceEnvironmentalism #SpacePolicy #Astronomy #Stewardship

Is the Outer Space Treaty becoming a "League of Nations" for the cosmos?

In a new Opinion piece for Frontiers, we argue that existing space governance isn't fit for the era of private satellite megaconstellations. To protect our shared heritage, we need a shift toward "Space Environmentalism."

We still have the chance to build a future by design rather than by default—if we act before these norms are set in stone.

Read more: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/space-technologies/articles/10.3389/frspt.2026.1748406/full

#SpacePolicy #Astronomy #SciencePolicy #SpaceEnvironmentalism

Is the Outer Space Treaty becoming a "League of Nations" for the cosmos?

In a new Opinion piece for Frontiers, we argue that existing space governance isn't fit for the era of private satellite megaconstellations. To protect our shared heritage, we need a shift toward "Space Environmentalism."

We still have the chance to build a future by design rather than by default—if we act before these norms are set in stone.

Read more: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/space-technologies/articles/10.3389/frspt.2026.1748406/full

#SpacePolicy #Astronomy #SciencePolicy #SpaceEnvironmentalism

America needs a space alliance

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://spacenews.com/america-needs-a-space-alliance/

America needs a space alliance

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://spacenews.com/america-needs-a-space-alliance/

Blue Origin is seeking U.S. Federal Communications Commission approval to operate a 51,600-satellite "orbital data center" network. Today, the Center for Space Environmentalism officially filed our opposition to its application.

We're demanding a rigorous environmental review to assess collision risks and the severe threat to our shared night sky before any approval is granted. Read our comment in full: https://www.spaceenvironmentalism.org/actions/public-statements-and-comments/blue-origin-comment-april-2026

#SpaceDebris #Astronomy #SpacePolicy #Environment #BlueOrigin #Tech

Blue Origin is seeking U.S. Federal Communications Commission approval to operate a 51,600-satellite "orbital data center" network. Today, the Center for Space Environmentalism officially filed our opposition to its application.

We're demanding a rigorous environmental review to assess collision risks and the severe threat to our shared night sky before any approval is granted. Read our comment in full: https://www.spaceenvironmentalism.org/actions/public-statements-and-comments/blue-origin-comment-april-2026

#SpaceDebris #Astronomy #SpacePolicy #Environment #BlueOrigin #Tech

5/ But there is also risk. Proposed White House budget cuts to NASA could create uncertainty for ongoing and future international science cooperation, including Mars exploration. #NASABudget #ScienceFunding #SpacePolicy

NASA startet Umsetzung für Europas Mars-Rover – Aufbruch für #RosalindFranklin, aber mit politischen Risiken
https://dauckchristian.home.blog/2026/04/18/nasa-startet-umsetzung-fur-europas-mars-rover-aufbruch-fur-rosalind-franklin-aber-mit-politischen-risiken/
#ExoMars #ESA #NASA #Mars #Astrobiology #SearchForLife #MarsMission #SpacePolicy #ScienceFunding #MarsRover #MarsAstrobiology #MarsExploration

Planet Labs’ Iran freeze raises a bigger question: who controls the view from orbit when commercial imagery is restricted in a crisis? https://spacetech.industryexaminer.com/planet-iran-imagery-freeze-orbital-transparency/ #SpaceTech #SpacePolicy #RemoteSensing #TechNews

Planet Labs’ Iran freeze raises a bigger question: who controls the view from orbit when commercial imagery is restricted in a crisis? https://spacetech.industryexaminer.com/planet-iran-imagery-freeze-orbital-transparency/ #SpaceTech #SpacePolicy #RemoteSensing #TechNews

What makes this moment notable is not only the technical success of Artemis II, but the symbolic language around it. Calling this a “golden age of space travel” reflects a broader belief that human lunar missions are no longer isolated spectacles, but the beginning of sustained deep-space activity.
#ArtemisII #NASA #SpacePolicy #MoonMission #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceExploration #news

Why it matters: Artemis II isn’t just a high-profile test flight — it sets the stage for crewed lunar missions, commercial opportunities, and geopolitical leadership in space. Success or setback here will shape U.S. space policy and who gets to set the rules off-Earth.

#NASA #Artemis #MoonMission #SpacePolicy

Satellites are exposing weak bridges in America and around the world

Scientists are using satellites to reveal which bridges around the world may be at risk of failure —…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Space #Science #SpacePolicy;PrivacyIssues;EnvironmentalPolicies;PublicHealth;TransportationIssues;WorldDevelopment;DisasterPlan;PoliticalScience
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/511706/

CSE has submitted public comments to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission on two pending applications relating to the #SpaceEnvironment:

(1) Reflect Orbital's prototype solar reflector satellite; https://www.spaceenvironmentalism.org/actions/public-statements-and-comments/reflect-orbital-2026

and

(2) SpaceX's "one million orbital data centers" proposal; https://www.spaceenvironmentalism.org/actions/public-statements-and-comments/spacex-1modcs-2026

#Space #Satellites #Environment #Policy #SpacePolicy #FCC #PublicComment

🌌 Above us, an invisible constellation grows. Not of stars, but of our own making: fragments racing through the dark at unfathomable speeds, each piece a ghost of ambition turned hazard.

✍️ Explore the cascade we cannot see 🛰️: https://TPC8.short.gy/IZaOxCi5

💫 What we send skyward returns as legacy, sometimes circling for decades or longer in silent judgment.

#SpaceDebris #space #spacejunk #OrbitalEcology #SpaceSustainability #Astronomy #Science #SpacePolicy #KesslerSyndrome #TPC8

Mars Sample Return (MSR): 2026 als mögliches Schlüsseljahr
https://dauckchristian.home.blog/2026/01/03/mars-sample-return-msr-2026-als-mogliches-schlusseljahr/
#Perseverance #MarsSampleReturn #MSR #NASA #ESA #MarsExploration #PerseveranceRover #Astrobiology #SearchForLife #PlanetaryScience #MarsRocks #SpaceScience #Biosignatures #SpacePolicy #SpaceEconomy #Geopolitics #SpaceRace #InternationalCooperation #FutureOfSpace #DeepSpace #SpaceTech #Aerospace #Innovation #SampleReturn