Tag: space debris

New Russian satellite-killer produces decades of fallout

The International Space Station is going into lockdown every 93 minutes. Satellite operators are scrambling to see if their assets are at risk. All thanks to a “most irresponsible” Russian orbital weapons test. The world’s space agencies and industries went into high alert overnight and ground-based radars had begun issuing warnings about the appearance of … Continue reading New Russian satellite-killer produces decades of fallout

Mountains of space junk could carry us to Mars

Space is big. Really big. And there’s not much up there – except all the trash. And that’s suddenly become a valuable resource, as recycling space junk could put an end to the days of fire-and-forget satellite launches. Thanks to South Australian space-industry start-up Neumann Space, every piece of scrap metal in orbit above us … Continue reading Mountains of space junk could carry us to Mars

ISS struck by space junk

Space can be an unforgiving environment, even for a spacecraft. The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has just reported that a small hole has appeared in a robotic arm it operates aboard the International Space Station (ISS) – driving home the risks of space junk. The 5-mm-diameter hole was noticed during a routine inspection of the … Continue reading ISS struck by space junk

Rocket debris draws international criticism

A large, uncontrolled piece of rocket debris hurtled towards Earth over the weekend – more than 20 tonnes travelling at about 27,000 km/h. Understandably, some were a little nervous about the damage bits of China’s biggest rocket – the Long March 5B – might cause. Ultimately most of the debris burned up in the atmosphere, … Continue reading Rocket debris draws international criticism