Tag: space sustainability
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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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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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China reaches out to NASA for 1st-of-its-kind space collaboration to avert satellite collision
Historic first in space traffic management In a landmark move underscoring the growing importance of space sustainability, China has reached out to NASA to coordinate a maneuver aimed at preventing a potential satellite collision. Officials briefed on the matter described the outreach as a first-of-its-kind effort in space traffic management, signaling a new level of…
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China asks NASA to help prevent satellite collision, marking first-ever space traffic management cooperation
Historic Call for Cooperation in Space Traffic Management In a move that could reshape how international partners address orbital safety, China recently reached out to NASA to discuss a maneuver designed to avert a potential satellite collision. Space sustainability officials described the outreach as the first instance of formal collaboration on space traffic management between…
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The Space Junk Crisis: Why Orbital Debris Is the Next Big Threat to Our Future in Space
The Growing Threat of Orbital Debris Space has long stood as a frontier of human ambition, where satellites orbiting Earth enable weather forecasting, communications, GPS, and scientific discovery. Yet the very infrastructure that powers our connected world is increasingly threatened by a growing cloud of debris circling the planet. From defunct satellites to spent rocket…
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The Space Junk Crisis: Why Orbital Debris Is The Next Big Threat To Our Future
Introduction: A crowded orbit and rising stakes Space has long symbolized ambition, innovation, and exploration. But as humanity’s footprint around Earth expands, so does a hidden threat: orbital debris. Thousands of defunct satellites, spent stages, and shattered fragments—collectively dubbed “cosmic junk”—now zigzag through the near-Earth environment at stunning speeds. The consequences aren’t just theoretical: each…
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Reflect Orbital’s Night-Sunlight Plan Sparks Global Debate and Space Sustainability Questions
What Reflect Orbital is proposing US startup Reflect Orbital has asked the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to launch an experimental 18-meter-long satellite, Earendil-1, as the first in a planned constellation. The company envisions a fleet of satellites that can redirect sunlight to specific locations so solar farms can operate after dark. Bloomberg…
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Satellite Operators Urge ITU to Improve Space Safety
Global Call for Better Coordination At the International Astronautical Congress in Sydney on Sept. 30, satellite operators pressed the International Telecommunication Union to help keep lines of communication open as close approaches between satellites raise space safety concerns. The core issue is not conflicts with rival constellations, but the lack of routine data sharing among…
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Satellite Operators Seek ITU Help to Strengthen Space Safety Coordination
Why coordination matters in a crowded orbital neighborhood As satellite constellations expand across low Earth orbit, operators say the risk of close approaches—and the potential for interference—must be managed with better cross-operator communication. At a panel during the International Astronautical Congress in Sydney, representatives from leading U.S. and Chinese operators stressed that uncontrolled conjunctions are…
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Why Scientists Are Worried About Dead Satellites Becoming Space Junk
What is space debris and how do dead satellites become junk? Space debris refers to any human-made object in orbit that no longer serves a purpose. Dead satellites, spent upper stages, and spent rocket bodies can become debris if they are not properly managed at the end of a mission. Even when satellites are designed…