#spacedebris — Public Fediverse posts

🇨🇳 At a perigee of about 396 kilometers and an apogee of 482, the leftover pieces should reenter the atmosphere within a few years.

The breakups are becoming a pattern for the #LongMarch6 family. A 6A stage from 2022 left 533 catalogued fragments, and a 2024 event produced more than 700 pieces.

#China wrote stage-disposal rules in 2023 that call for deorbiting and passivation of spent hardware, yet the failures keep coming https://spacesecuritynews.com/leolabs-spots-a-chinese-rocket-stage-breaking-up-days-after-launch/

#SpaceDebris

Chinese reconnaissance satellite breaks up in rare retrograde orbit

HELSINKI — A Chinese satellite launched into an unusual orbit early this year has suffered an apparent fragmentation…
#NewsBeep #News #Space #China #debris #LongMarch6A #Science #SN #spacedebris #UK #UnitedKingdom #Yaogansatellites
https://www.newsbeep.com/uk/760352/

https://www.europesays.com/ie/672746/ Chinese reconnaissance satellite breaks up in rare retrograde orbit #China #debris #Éire #IE #Ireland #LongMarch6A #Science #SN #Space #SpaceDebris #YaoganSatellites

"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

We just filed a formal Reply Comment with the FCC opposing Cowboy Space’s massive 20,000-satellite data center constellation. Instead of addressing the scientific and technical concerns we presented, Cowboy Space relied almost entirely on procedural deflections.

We won't let orbital greenwashing go unchallenged.

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

#SpaceSustainability #Astronomy #SpaceDebris #Environment #FCC #Tech

"If all satellites in orbit suddenly lost the ability to manoeuvre and control their orientation, how long would it take for two to come close enough to crash? In 2018, before megaconstellations began launching, the CRASH Clock value was 164 days. It has been steadily dropping since then. Our new research finds that as of May 2026, it is at 2.5 days."

https://theconversation.com/a-new-crash-clock-measures-the-chance-of-satellite-collisions-and-its-ticking-down-fast-283481

#Space #SpaceEnvironment #SpaceSustainability #SpaceDebris

More reasons to say "No!" to #SpaceX and #Starlink (and other unnecessary satellites!).

SpaceX rocket fireball linked to plume of polluting lithium

Georgina Rannard, Science reporter, February 19, 2025

Excerpts: "When a SpaceX rocket failure set the skies aflame over western Europe last February, no-one was sure if the debris was also polluting our #atmosphere.

"Now scientists are directly linking the uncontrolled rocket re-entry to a plume of #lithium measured less than 100km above Earth.

"It is the first time researchers have drawn a direct link between a known piece of #SpaceDebris crashing to Earth and #pollution levels.

They warn that as SpaceX chief #ElonMusk pledges to launch one million satellites in the coming years, this #contamination could be the tip of the iceberg."

[...]

"Earlier research has suggested that 10% of aerosols in the atmosphere are already contaminated by space debris.

"SpaceX has not responded to emailed requests from BBC News for comment. The researchers also sent their findings to the company but did not receive a response.

"Almost 30,000 pieces of debris are calculated to be free-floating in space, created when rockets break up in space or satellites disintegrate.

"Scientists warn that the debris is congesting space and threatens collision with rockets, the International Space Station, and our planet.

"Musk's SpaceX is the world's leading company for rocket launches including for sending humans into space and maintaining a network of 10,000 Starlink internet satellites.

"Musk recently announced he has applied to launch one million satellites to support #ArtificialIntelligence (#AI) data centres in space.

"Scientists warn that as humans move more activities off-Earth, more debris will fall to Earth, polluting as it plummets."

Read more:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpd8z4eqlxno

#LithiumPollution #AtmosphericPollution #NoAIInSpace #NoDatacentersInSpace #LEO #KesslerEffect #SpaceJunk #DarkSkies #LowerEarthOrbit #LEO #AIBullshitMachines #TechBros #xAI #Technopoly #SpacePollution
#AISucks #DataCenters #SkyNet #KesslerSyndrome #USPol #WorldPol #SpaceNews

🌌 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

"With over 34,000 large debris pieces in orbit and millions of smaller fragments, the threat of collisions and the #KesslerSyndrome looms large. International cooperation, stringent regulations, and technological solutions are proposed to address the crisis, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive global framework to ensure #SpaceSustainability for future generations."

https://intpolicydigest.org/the-platform/space-has-become-a-trash-dump-and-that-s-a-problem/

#Space #Satellites #SpaceDebris

"'It's a very difficult problem to communicate to the general public. It's not like an oil spill, where the pelicans are dying. It's not visceral. There's debris you can show them through a telescope. But it's just a dot.'"

https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/features/the-triumphs-and-troubles-of-the-7000-starlink-satellites-crowding-our-night-skies/

#Space #Satellites #SpaceSustainability #SpaceEnvironment #SpaceDebris #KesslerSyndrome #Internet #DigitalDivide #SpaceX #Starlink

"During the conference launch, Joanne Wheeler, Director of ESSI, highlighted a crucial yet often overlooked aspect, namely: 'Space is part of our Earth’s ecosystem – our home,' and 'What we do in space is an extension of our life on Earth.'"

https://www.aerosociety.com/news/protecting-a-global-space-resource/

#Space #SpaceSustainability #SpaceEnvironment #SpaceEnvironmentalism #SpaceDebris #OrbitalCrowding

Ariane 5 upper stages are located mainly in #GTO & just a small delta-v (1,6km/s) is left to reach the #Moon 🌙. Since the debris 🗑️ is picked up in orbit, small propulsion units are sufficient for the remaining transport to the moon. More than 150 tons of #aluminum can be regained ♻️ from #Ariane5 upper stages alone. This saves more than €50 billions 💰 of tax money in transportation costs compared to #SLS or #Ariane6 launchers. https://activities.esa.int/4000132842

#ESA #SpaceDebris #Recycling

Non-Destructive Satellite Counterspace Satellites: The Future of Space Defense

#ASAT #Communications #Competition #Counterspace #Defense #Energy #Infrastructure #Investment #Navigation #Nuclear #Satellites #Sensors #SpaceDebris #SpaceDefense #SpaceSecurity #SpaceTrafficManagement #Technology #EarthAndOrbit #EditorSPicks #Emerging #MarketDataAndAnalysis #Noteworthy #PolicyLawAndRegulation #SatelliteApplications #SocioEconomic #SpaceEconomy

https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2024/03/04/non-destructive-satellite-counterspace-satellites-the-future-of-space-defense/