Categories: Videos

Coming to an IMAX Near You (and just in time!): Space Junk 3-D

Serendipitously, at the same time we are waiting to see when and where the Russian Phobos-Grunt satellite will crash back to Earth, a new IMAX movie called “Space Junk 3-D” will open in giant screen and dome theaters. “The timing is uncanny, but we hope it will underscore the film’s intention: to raise awareness of the orbital debris issue to ensure the future of space exploration and satellite communications,” said the makers of the film.


While the animated film “Wall-E” intimated that space junk could doom our planet, this is the first movie to explore the exponentially expanding ring of debris that threatens the safety of Earth orbit. As only the magical imagery of a giant 3-D screen can do, the movie will take you soaring—from the stunning depths of Meteor Crater on Earth, to an unprecedented view of our increasingly crowded orbits, 35,400 km (22,000 miles) above Earth.

In the movie, which makes its debut this weekend in several locations, Don Kessler, the retired head of NASA’s Orbital Debris Office (who is known as the “Father of Space Junk,”) discusses the challenges we face in protecting Earth’s orbital environment for the future. At risk here is the future of space exploration and the safety of the extensive satellite network that powers our modern day communications, GPS and more.

The movie also weighs the possible solutions aimed at fixing the problem. But most impressive are the stunning 3-D images that transport the viewer above Earth, to star fields and beyond, providing a view of massive collision in space – both man-made and natural.

“We set out to recreate the most spectacular orbital debris events with scientific accuracy and mind-blowing visualization,” said Director and Producer Melissa Butts.

Check here for the latest listing of where Space Junk 3-D is showing.

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy has been with Universe Today since 2004, and has published over 6,000 articles on space exploration, astronomy, science and technology. She is the author of two books: "Eight Years to the Moon: the History of the Apollo Missions," (2019) which shares the stories of 60 engineers and scientists who worked behind the scenes to make landing on the Moon possible; and "Incredible Stories from Space: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the Cosmos" (2016) tells the stories of those who work on NASA's robotic missions to explore the Solar System and beyond. Follow Nancy on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Nancy_A and and Instagram at and https://www.instagram.com/nancyatkinson_ut/

Recent Posts

DART Changed the Shape of Asteroid Dimorphos, not Just its Orbit

On September 26th, 2022, NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) collided with the asteroid Dimorphos,…

11 hours ago

Cosmochemistry: Why study it? What can it teach us about finding life beyond Earth?

Universe Today has had some fantastic discussions with researchers on the importance of studying impact…

11 hours ago

Webb Finds Deep Space Alcohol and Chemicals in Newly Forming Planetary

Since its launch in 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has made some amazing…

14 hours ago

Mercury is the Perfect Destination for a Solar Sail

Solar sails rely upon pressure exerted by sunlight on large surfaces. Get the sail closer…

15 hours ago

Phew, De-Icing Euclid’s Instruments Worked. It’s Seeing Better Now

From its vantage point at the Sun-Earth L2 point, the ESA's Euclid spacecraft is measuring…

18 hours ago

New View Reveals Magnetic Fields Around Our Galaxy’s Giant Black Hole

Fresh imagery from the Event Horizon Telescope traces the lines of powerful magnetic fields spiraling…

18 hours ago