Tag: Space Debris
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China orbits first Guowang Internet satellites, with thousands more to come
The first batch of Internet satellites for China’s Guowang megaconstellation launched Monday on the country’s heavy-lift Long March 5B rocket. The satellites are the first of up to 13,000 spacecraft a consortium of Chinese companies plans to build and launch over the next decade. The Guowang fleet will beam low-latency high-speed Internet signals in an…
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Space Command chief says dialogue with China is too often a one-way street
The head of US Space Command said Wednesday he would like to see more transparency from the Chinese government on space debris, especially as one of China’s newer rockets has shown a propensity for breaking apart and littering low-Earth orbit with hundreds of pieces of space junk. Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of US Space Command,…
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There are 2,000-plus dead rockets in orbit—here’s a rare view of one
There are more than 2,000 mostly intact dead rockets circling the Earth, but until this year, no one ever launched a satellite to go see what one looked like after many years of tumbling around the planet. In February, a Japanese company named Astroscale sent a small satellite into low-Earth orbit on top of a…
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There are 2,000-plus dead rockets in orbit—here’s a rare view of one
There are more than 2,000 mostly intact dead rockets circling the Earth, but until this year, no one ever launched a satellite to go see what one looked like after many years of tumbling around the planet. In February, a Japanese company named Astroscale sent a small satellite into low-Earth orbit on top of a…
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Russian Satellite Breakup Creates Debris Cloud in Low Earth Orbit
A recent analysis by private space situational awareness providers indicates that a defunct Russian remote sensing satellite, Resurs P1, experienced a significant breakup event in low Earth orbit, resulting in the creation of over 100 fragments of debris. The incident, detected on June 26 and initially reported by LeoLabs, is believed to have been caused…
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Turion Space Secures $1.9 Million Contract from SpaceWERX for Autonomous Spacecraft System
Turion Space, an Irvine-based startup, has clinched a $1.9 million contract from SpaceWERX, the technology arm of the U.S. Space Force, to develop an autonomous spacecraft docking and maneuvering system aimed at advancing space technology. The contract focuses on enhancing capabilities to engage uncooperative space objects and facilitate the deorbiting of inactive satellites, Turion’s co-founder…
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NASA and SpaceX Address Debris Concerns from Dragon Spacecraft
NASA and SpaceX are evaluating modifications to the reentry process of the Dragon spacecraft to mitigate debris from its trunk section reaching the ground, Reuters reported. Recent incidents involving debris from several missions have prompted a reevaluation of existing procedures. Previously, debris from Dragon spacecraft trunks has been found on land, including fragments from missions…
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Defunct European Satellite’s Reentry Highlights Orbital Debris Risks Amid Policy Shifts
The imminent reentry of the European Space Agency’s European Remote Sensing (ERS) 2 satellite serves as a stark reminder of the persistent hazards posed by existing space objects, even as agencies strive to curtail the proliferation of orbital debris. Expected to descend on February 21st after orbiting for nearly two decades, the European Remote Sensing…
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NASA and SpaceX misjudged the risks from reentering space junk
Since the beginning of the year, landowners have discovered several pieces of space junk traced to missions supporting the International Space Station. On all of these occasions, engineers expected none of the disposable hardware would survive the scorching heat of reentry and make it to Earth’s surface. These incidents highlight an urgency for more research…
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Family whose roof was damaged by space debris files claims against NASA
The owner of a home in southwestern Florida has formally submitted a claim to NASA for damages caused by a chunk of space debris that fell through his roof in March. The legal case is unprecedented—no one has evidently made such a claim against NASA before. How the space agency responds will set a precedent,…