Tag: Space Debris
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New Insurance Alliance Shields Satellites from Space Debris Collisions
A Groundbreaking Partnership for Satellite Risk Coverage Two industry leaders have joined forces to offer a specialized form of insurance that currently doesn’t fit neatly into traditional policies: coverage for space debris collision events impacting satellites. As megaconstellations expand and payloads become more valuable, the financial exposure from debris-related incidents has grown. The collaboration aims…
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Crash Clock: How Quickly Satellites Could Collide After a Severe Solar Storm
What the Crash Clock Reveals Researchers studying the aftermath of extreme solar activity have introduced the concept of the “Crash Clock”—a model that estimates how fast satellite collisions could cascade once a severe solar storm disrupts maneuvering and deconfliction in Earth’s orbit. The study warns that with tens of thousands of objects racing through low…
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Crash Clock: How Soon Collisions Start After a Severe Solar Storm
What the Crash Clock Really Measures Recently, scientists unveiled a startling way to gauge the immediate dangers posed by space weather and the crowded arena of objects in Earth orbit. The so‑called “Crash Clock” translates a severe solar storm into a concrete timeline showing when satellites and debris would begin to encounter one another if…
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China Upgrades Tiangong with Defensive Countermeasures After Debris Incident
Background: Debris Incident Spurs Space Station Upgrades Last month, a tiny fragment of space debris forced three taikonauts to ride out a nine-day orbital anomaly aboard the Tiangong space station. While the crew remained safe, the incident underscored the increasing risks posed by orbital debris and the need for robust protection and autonomous response systems.…
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China Installs Defensive Countermeasures on Tiangong Space Station
Defensive Countermeasures on Tiangong: A New Chapter in Space Station Integrity About a month after a fragment of space debris forced three taikonauts to shelter aboard China’s Tiangong space station, Chinese authorities announced that the orbiting complex is undergoing selective defensive upgrades. State media agency CGTN reported that engineers and astronauts are implementing countermeasures designed…
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Space Health Score: Earth’s Orbit Faces a Growing Junk Crisis
What the Space Health Score Means The latest space health score paints a stark picture: Earth’s orbit is increasingly crowded with debris, jeopardizing the reliable operation of satellites, astronauts, and future missions. The space health score isn’t a single number you’d tally on a scale, but a composite indicator that tracks the density of orbital…
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Earth’s Orbit at Risk: The Growing Space Health Crisis and What It Means for Our Future
Introduction: A Crisis in Earth’s Orbit Space is increasingly crowded as Earth’s orbit fills with debris. Nearly 30,000 tracked pieces are currently orbiting our planet, and that count excludes hundreds of thousands of smaller fragments too tiny to monitor. While “space junk” might sound like science fiction, it is a concrete and escalating risk to…
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Space health score reveals Earth’s orbit is in serious crisis
Introduction: A crowded, precarious orbital neighborhood Earth’s orbit is increasingly cluttered with man-made debris, from spent rocket stages to tiny fragments created by collisions and explosions. The latest space health score paints a stark picture: nearly 30,000 tracked pieces orbit our planet, and countless smaller fragments remain untracked. This isn’t a distant sci‑fi scenario. It’s…
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Meet Point Nemo: The Island of Space, and the ISS’s Quiet Farewell in 2030
Introduction: A Quiet Milestone in a Trailblazing Era On a Sunday that marked a poetic milestone, the International Space Station (ISS) reached 25 years of continuous human occupation. Since humans first settled a persistent scientific outpost in orbit, the ISS has been more than a research lab; it has been a symbol of international collaboration,…
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ISS at Point Nemo: 2030 Deorbit Ends an Era
Introduction: The 25-Year Milestone On November 2, the International Space Station (ISS) marked the 25th anniversary of continuous human presence in orbit. Since its first module was launched, the station has served as a shared laboratory, a symbol of international cooperation, and a testbed for life in microgravity. Yet with aging hardware, tightening budgets, and…