#spaceenvironment — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #spaceenvironment, aggregated by home.social.
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"Up until a decade ago, China had never launched as many as 20 orbital rockets a year. But beginning in 2022, the Asian country launched 64 rockets and last year reached a record total of 93. However there is an issue with these launches, as China appears to be ignoring long-established norms about disposing of the upper stages of rockets."
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"Missing data is a problem for scientists trying to explain the Earth's climate to politicians and business leaders who make decisions on what to do about climate change. While the data loss is currently small, scientists say the problem will only get worse over time as space debris increases. 'Things will get worse before they get better,' said the NASA scientists in [a] 2018 report that assessed debris maneuvers."
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"Missing data is a problem for scientists trying to explain the Earth's climate to politicians and business leaders who make decisions on what to do about climate change. While the data loss is currently small, scientists say the problem will only get worse over time as space debris increases. 'Things will get worse before they get better,' said the NASA scientists in [a] 2018 report that assessed debris maneuvers."
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"Missing data is a problem for scientists trying to explain the Earth's climate to politicians and business leaders who make decisions on what to do about climate change. While the data loss is currently small, scientists say the problem will only get worse over time as space debris increases. 'Things will get worse before they get better,' said the NASA scientists in [a] 2018 report that assessed debris maneuvers."
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"Missing data is a problem for scientists trying to explain the Earth's climate to politicians and business leaders who make decisions on what to do about climate change. While the data loss is currently small, scientists say the problem will only get worse over time as space debris increases. 'Things will get worse before they get better,' said the NASA scientists in [a] 2018 report that assessed debris maneuvers."
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"Missing data is a problem for scientists trying to explain the Earth's climate to politicians and business leaders who make decisions on what to do about climate change. While the data loss is currently small, scientists say the problem will only get worse over time as space debris increases. 'Things will get worse before they get better,' said the NASA scientists in [a] 2018 report that assessed debris maneuvers."
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"Several scientific bodies now advise on policy in different areas of #space #sustainability. But no single body exists to provide comprehensive policy input to governments. We urgently need an intergovernmental panel on space sustainability (IPSS)."
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"Based on estimates described by researchers as 'conservative', the global #space sector will have released by 2030 more climate-altering chemicals into the atmosphere than the entire United Kingdom. If the growth envisioned by the space industry leaders comes to pass, this air pollution, mostly concentrated in higher layers of the #atmosphere, will at some point begin altering Earth's #climate."
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"Based on estimates described by researchers as 'conservative', the global #space sector will have released by 2030 more climate-altering chemicals into the atmosphere than the entire United Kingdom. If the growth envisioned by the space industry leaders comes to pass, this air pollution, mostly concentrated in higher layers of the #atmosphere, will at some point begin altering Earth's #climate."
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"Based on estimates described by researchers as 'conservative', the global #space sector will have released by 2030 more climate-altering chemicals into the atmosphere than the entire United Kingdom. If the growth envisioned by the space industry leaders comes to pass, this air pollution, mostly concentrated in higher layers of the #atmosphere, will at some point begin altering Earth's #climate."
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"Based on estimates described by researchers as 'conservative', the global #space sector will have released by 2030 more climate-altering chemicals into the atmosphere than the entire United Kingdom. If the growth envisioned by the space industry leaders comes to pass, this air pollution, mostly concentrated in higher layers of the #atmosphere, will at some point begin altering Earth's #climate."
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"Based on estimates described by researchers as 'conservative', the global #space sector will have released by 2030 more climate-altering chemicals into the atmosphere than the entire United Kingdom. If the growth envisioned by the space industry leaders comes to pass, this air pollution, mostly concentrated in higher layers of the #atmosphere, will at some point begin altering Earth's #climate."
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"Potent air pollution generated by the launch and reentry of large, disposable satellite systems is rapidly accumulating in the upper atmosphere, decreasing the amount of sunlight reaching Earth's surface. By 2029, the accumulating pollution will have an effect similar to proposed geoengineering techniques, which aim to cool the planet by blocking some sunlight with particles injected into the upper atmosphere."
https://phys.org/news/2026-05-satellite-pollution-rapidly-accumulating-upper.html
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"Space is getting congested with man-made creations at an exponential rate. If the throwaway stages of these rockets aren't handled with proper diligence, the odds of them going where they shouldn't go up, too. Fortunately, these things are mostly designed to burn up in Earth's atmosphere if they come this way. But if they get caught by the Moon, the airless celestial body just has to receive them as trash."
https://www.jalopnik.com/2161457/moon-launches-littering-space-with-junk/
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“In 2024, 24 elements were dominating the meteoric injection compared to 18 in 2015, this might increase to 30 in the future. Several of them are transition metals, which are known for their catalytic activity. This indicates a substantial risk of long-term adverse effects on the atmosphere such as ozone depletion, radiative effects and changes in cloud formation, if no action is taken.”
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273117726003509
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CSE has filed a comment on Starcloud's application to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to operate an AI data center constellation of 88,000 satellites.
In it we urge the FCC to look beyond standard orbital debris arguments to address the "greenwashing" of AI computing in space, and the ideological push to sacrifice a global commons for private AI demand.
Read the full comment: https://www.spaceenvironmentalism.org/actions/public-statements-and-comments/starcloud-comment-april-2026
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"A senior astronomer has warned that NASA’s #Artemis program must not become a vehicle for unregulated commercial activity in space, arguing that the return of humans to the #moon should be governed by clear international rules — rather than a 'frontier mentality.'"
https://www.newsweek.com/artemis-mission-cannot-lead-interplanetary-wild-west-11774199
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"For the second time in three months, a #SpaceX satellite has failed and broken up over Earth, highlighting concerns over the company’s plan to increase its network to more than a million satellites. ... The mishap comes as critics blast SpaceX’s plan to create a new constellation of up to a million satellites to be used as space-based data centers.'"
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"The surge in orbital activity has created a significant collision risk. ... The big fear is that future collisions will cause a domino effect where Earth’s orbit becomes cluttered with tiny, high-speed bits of metal. That could create a near-impenetrable layer of debris that would make space launches so dangerous it would essentially trap humans on Earth."
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"NASA pulled off the #moon landing in 1969 with a clear goal from the outset: to be the first nation to put boots on the lunar surface. Now, #NASA is heading back with its #Artemis program. But why spend nearly $100 billion to repeat a journey NASA has already made? The goal of Artemis is less obvious than that of Apollo — so much so that the justification for NASA’s lunar return largely depends on who is answering the question."
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"A dramatic rise in the number of satellites on orbit is increasing the amount of space debris, posing a critical threat to the capabilities of America’s national space systems, Maj. Gen. Chris Povak, deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office, said Monday. 'The future gets more complex, not less. More satellites, more debris, more competition,' he said."
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"An array of man-made #satellites beam sunlight down to Earth. An artificial constellation of thousands of satellites illuminates the night sky. These scenarios might sound like science fiction. But between SpaceX’s plans to launch 1 million satellites as part of its satellite-based internet network #Starlink, and Reflect Orbital’s sunlight reflecting space mirrors, private companies could change the way our night sky looks."
https://news.northeastern.edu/2026/03/24/space-mirrors-satellites-sunlight-earth/
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Thanks to Leonard David for covering our recent comments to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission on SpaceX's 1 million orbital data centers and Reflect Orbital's "sunlight as a service" #satellite applications.
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"Cyber security researchers are already using #AI to identify so-called zero-day vulnerabilities — yet undiscovered security holes in code — to alert operators and help them patch the problems before hackers could exploit them. But attackers, too, can take advantage of those advanced systems to find those holes more quickly."
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"'The presumption now is that the application should be approved and that it should be up to the people who might object to prove that there's a problem of some kind. The fact that they have fast-tracked this application, which has potentially tremendous effects not only for astronomy but for the environment too, and to do so without engaging in a full environmental review, is worrisome.'"
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"The Trump administration is backing off a rule aimed at stopping commercial #space companies from leaving rocket bodies in Earth’s orbit, a practice that experts say could threaten public safety and telecommunications. ... SpaceX and other companies, however, criticized the proposal, citing concerns that included its cost, and in January, the #FAA nixed the rule, saying the agency needs more time to research it. "
https://www.propublica.org/article/faa-trump-space-junk-safety-spacex-rockets
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RE: https://mastodon.social/@space_environmentalism/116205780730907978
SpaceX plans to launch a million (!) satellites into orbit. Aside from the impacts on the environment ...
"This loss of the night sky, something that has guided humanity since the dawn of time and influenced culture, religion and science, would be immeasurable."
#SpaceX #SpaceEnvironment #LightPollution #alan #Astronomy #Space
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"Most of humanity has a great propensity to think in the short-term, but generally, long-term considerations — air pollution, deforestation and emissions, for example — just aren't our thing. That's partly why scientists are deeply concerned about a recent #SpaceX proposal to launch one million #satellites into orbit around Earth."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/spacex-data-centre-one-million-satellites-9.7117772
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"The upper #atmosphere is in a fragile state, says lead author William Parker. ‘This shift is colliding with a massive surge in satellite launches, particularly from mega-constellations such as SpaceX’s #Starlink. The study warns that if we exceed orbital capacity, we could trigger 'runaway instability' – a cascade of collisions creating so much debris that satellites can no longer safely operate.'"
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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
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"Constant #space launches are turning the #atmosphere into a 'crematorium' for #satellites and other space debris. That was the warning from a trio of astronomers and atmospheric scientists in a new essay for The Conversation, which outlines the grim consequences of populating the Earth’s orbit with tens of thousands of expendable satellites. Satellites, they write, 'have become part of throwaway culture'."
https://futurism.com/space/space-launches-atmosphere-crematorium
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"Elon Musk's #space technology company, #SpaceX, recently asked the U.S. government for permission to launch 1 million #satellites. The idea is to put solar-powered data centers into orbit, an ambition shared by other #tech giants. ... These proposals have drawn scorn from critics who say orbital data centers would be too costly and technologically out of reach."
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/climate/spacex-climate-musk-orbiting-data-centers.html
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"Across regions and borders, cultures and customs, the one thing we share is the night sky. Access to the night sky is a crucial part of our scientific, religious, and cultural practices across the globe. Right now, one government agency has the power to completely alter the night sky as we know it."
https://astrobites.org/2026/02/26/reflect-orbital-ai-data-center/
#Space #SpaceEnvironment #FCC #ReflectOrbital #SunlightAsAService #SpaceX #DataCenters
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"Two little-noted applications under review by the Federal Communications Commission would, if fully implemented, fundamentally remake the night sky. But the #FCC, the satellite regulator, appears to have fast-tracked approval without much of a pause to weigh the benefits of these proposals against the harms they could cause to life on the planet."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2026/02/27/satellites-light-pollution-spacex/
#Space #SpaceEnvironment #ReflectOrbital #SunlightAsAService #DataCenters
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CSE's own @sundogplanets (University of Regina) has a new article with Gregory Radisic (Bond University) in @TheConversationUS in which they argue that the rapid expansion of #satellite #megaconstellations poses a catastrophic threat to Earth's orbit and the cultural heritage of the night sky and advocate for a Dark Skies Impact Assessment to regulate these impacts before they become irreversible.
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"International agreements covering rocket pollution include the Outer Space Treaty and Liability Convention. They require countries to avoid harmful contamination and to accept responsibility for damage caused by their #space objects. Those principles are reflected by several International Court of Justice rulings and opinions on preventing cross-border environmental harm."
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/19022026/commercial-space-travel-environmental-threat/
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"Between 03:44 and 03:52 UTC on 19 February 2025, the upper stage of a #SpaceX #Falcon9 #rocket made an uncontrolled re-entry over Europe, producing a visible fireball and a persistent high-altitude plume of lithium vapour. ... This finding supports growing concerns that space traffic may pollute the upper atmosphere in ways not yet fully understood."
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"The European Space Agency is already making use of laser technology to detect and monitor space debris with the Izaña laser ranging station complex. But what if we could also use laser technology to actually prevent collisions?"
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/02/Moving_space_debris_out_of_the_way_with_OMLET
We note how the answer always seems to be "more tech", not "less pollution".
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"This study reveals that #LEO #satellite #internet systems are more #carbon intensive (0.1–0.5 kg CO₂e/GB) than terrestrial fibre (0.05–0.20 kg CO₂e/GB) due primarily to #emissions from #launch processes and operations."
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"For two decades, spacefaring nations have operated under a simple rule: any satellite sent into orbit must have a less than one in 10,000 chance of injuring someone on the ground. The rule was written when a few dozen objects reentered the atmosphere each year. By early 2026, with more than 9,000 #Starlink satellites in orbit and filings for constellations totaling over 70,000 spacecraft, that arithmetic no longer holds."
https://indiandefencereview.com/starlink-satellites-falling-nonstop-to-earth-risk/
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"As more and more satellite megaconstellations continue to be launched into Earth orbit, some researchers are beginning to calculate the chances that people on the surface could be struck by the incoming remnants of these spacecraft reentering the atmosphere. A new study by a team of Canadian researchers ... finds that there's a 40% collective risk of on-ground casualties if satellites do not burn up entirely."
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"Low Earth orbit is filling with #satellites, and space #telescopes are beginning to notice. A new study published in Nature finds that reflections from large satellite constellations could interfere with most images taken by some current and future space observatories. Because these missions rely on long exposures to detect extremely faint objects, even brief satellite crossings can hide objects or reduce the amount of usable data scientists collect."
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"A race to secure regulatory approval for data centers in space is emerging, with a US startup called Starcloud submitting a proposal to the #FCC for a constellation of up to 88,000 #satellites—shortly after SpaceX filed plans to launch up to one million satellites. ... The filings point to a possible surge in satellite applications if other rival companies decide to pursue the concept on a wider scale." (via @PCMag)
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The increasing density of #satellites high above Earth is an attractive target for disruption, potentially triggering orbital catastrophe. "Chinese scientists have developed a compact ultra-powerful energy generator, paving the way for next-generation weapons that could one day be turned on satellite swarms like SpaceX’s #Starlink constellation."
https://www.the-independent.com/tech/china-starlink-satellite-weapon-pulse-microwave-b2915138.html
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The increasing density of #satellites high above Earth is an attractive target for disruption, potentially triggering orbital catastrophe. "Chinese scientists have developed a compact ultra-powerful energy generator, paving the way for next-generation weapons that could one day be turned on satellite swarms like SpaceX’s #Starlink constellation."
https://www.the-independent.com/tech/china-starlink-satellite-weapon-pulse-microwave-b2915138.html
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The increasing density of #satellites high above Earth is an attractive target for disruption, potentially triggering orbital catastrophe. "Chinese scientists have developed a compact ultra-powerful energy generator, paving the way for next-generation weapons that could one day be turned on satellite swarms like SpaceX’s #Starlink constellation."
https://www.the-independent.com/tech/china-starlink-satellite-weapon-pulse-microwave-b2915138.html
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The increasing density of #satellites high above Earth is an attractive target for disruption, potentially triggering orbital catastrophe. "Chinese scientists have developed a compact ultra-powerful energy generator, paving the way for next-generation weapons that could one day be turned on satellite swarms like SpaceX’s #Starlink constellation."
https://www.the-independent.com/tech/china-starlink-satellite-weapon-pulse-microwave-b2915138.html
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The increasing density of #satellites high above Earth is an attractive target for disruption, potentially triggering orbital catastrophe. "Chinese scientists have developed a compact ultra-powerful energy generator, paving the way for next-generation weapons that could one day be turned on satellite swarms like SpaceX’s #Starlink constellation."
https://www.the-independent.com/tech/china-starlink-satellite-weapon-pulse-microwave-b2915138.html
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"The sky is getting crowded. In the last few years, the number of #satellite launches has increased by an order of magnitude as #megaconstellations of internet-powering hardware crowd into low Earth orbit. The pace of both launching and retiring these units is creating new kinds of #pollution, potentially upsetting the #climate system and the protective #ozone layer."
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We have published our Manifesto, a document that lays out the rationale for the existence of CSE, summarizes our vision for humanity's future in #space, and calls people, governments and private actors everywhere to take action to realize that future.
Read the document here: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18283974