Orbital Debris

See the Dramatic Final Moments of the Doomed ERS-2 Satellite

When a satellite reaches the end of its life, it has only two destinations. It can either be maneuvered into…

4 weeks ago

99% of Space Junk is Undetectable. That Could Change Soon

Private and military organizations are tracking some of the 170 million pieces of space junk orbiting the planet, but they're…

4 months ago

Drag Sail Success! This Satellite Won't Turn Into Space Junk

The European Space Agency successfully tested a solar-sail-type device to speed up the deorbit time for a used cubesat carrier…

1 year ago

About 3% of Starlinks Have Failed So Far

A new analysis indicates that 3% of Starlink satellites have failed since they were launched to orbit, which could mean…

3 years ago

A Television Satellite Might be About to Explode

A DirecTV satellite suffered a battery failure and now has to be de-orbited. Otherwise, it could cause a collision and…

4 years ago

Now that Many Countries Have the Ability to Destroy Satellites, the US is Figuring Out Ways to Make Them More Armored

With all the advances made in anti-satellite technology, Sandia National Laboratories is seeking partnerships to develop satellites that can defend…

4 years ago

Can We Use Special Sails To Bring Old Satellites Back Down To Earth?

The growing problem of space debris in LEO (Low-Earth Orbit) is garnering more and more attention. With thousands of satellites…

5 years ago

Did You Know That a Satellite Crashes Back to Earth About Once a Week, on Average?

According to the ESA's Space Debris Office, about 100 tonnes of space debris enters our atmosphere every year on average.

6 years ago

China Has a Plan to Clean Up Space Junk with Lasers

A new study by a team of Chinese researchers considers whether a space-based laser station would be a good way…

6 years ago

The Space Station is Getting a New Gadget to Detect Space Debris

The Space Debris Sensor (SDS) aboard the International Space Station is allowing scientists to characterize the orbital debris environment

6 years ago