Space Junk
CYBER: Space Junk, Nuclear Waste, AI Nukes and the Reason We’re All Still Here
This week, an expert on nuclear weapons stops by to discuss how we tell aliens about the dangers of nuclear waste.
Space Junk That Will Hit Moon Is Likely From China, Not SpaceX
The rocket part, which is due to hit the Moon on March 4, is likely from a Chinese mission launched in 2014.
How the Sun Can Help Predict Crashes in Orbit and on Earth
As orbit gets more cluttered, it’s more important than ever to fine-tune predictions of collisions between space junk and uncontrolled reentries to Earth.
This Scientist Spent Decades Cataloging 57,424 Man-Made Objects in Space
The General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects is the most complete catalog of satellites, spacecraft, debris, space organizations, and launches, ever compiled. Its creator, astronomer Jonathan McDowell, put it online for anyone to use, for free.
The First Mission to Clean Up Space Junk Will Launch in 2025
ClearSpace-1 will use a "Pac-Man system" to capture an abandoned rocket part, which may lead to a new market for commercial services in orbit.
A Mysterious 'Fireball' Was Spotted In Chile and Nobody Knows What It Was
A meteor? Space junk? Nobody knows, but officials investigated whether the mysterious object, or objects, started several fires.
Watch Scientists Torch a Satellite to Help Protect People From Space Debris
Burning up satellite parts in laboratories could help reduce the amount of space debris that impacts Earth.
A Defunct Soviet Venus Probe Will Crash Into Earth After Decades in Orbit
Skywatchers say Kosmos 482, which was designed to withstand the harsh environment of Venus, will likely land on Earth intact.
Scientists Want to Monitor Space Debris from Warming Russian Arctic
A MIPT team is building prototype observatories over the coming weeks in Amderma, Nenets Autonomous Region.
Watch This Net Capture Orbital Space Debris for the First Time in History
Not only does the net look cool as hell, it’s addressing a major problem for the future of space exploration.
Astronomers Are Annoyed at a New Zealand Company That Launched a Disco Ball Into Orbit
The Humanity Star is a poetic and entirely useless satellite. For astronomers, however, it’s a pain in the ass.
A Piece of Space Junk Has The Best, Most Existential Twitter Account
An art project imagines what a piece of space junk would say if it could talk back to Earth, and to other decommissioned satellites in orbit.