Satellites get a new type of armor. The Economist notes that satellite makers and operators are now shielding their assets against #spacejunk. Just shows how real this problem is. But you can’t shield from the large hits.
@chikyufoundation.com
@chikyufoundation.comSatellites get a new type of armor. The Economist notes that satellite makers and operators are now shielding their assets against #spacejunk. Just shows how real this problem is. But you can’t shield from the large hits.
@chikyufoundation.comMore #spacejunk: A reconnaissance satellite suffered an unidentified anomaly and broke apart into pieces. Those fragments are trapped in a high altitude above Earth, where they risk a head-on collision with another object.
The rate of these failures in LEO is going to quicken the #kesslersyndrome
@chikyufoundation.comThe Scale of the Problem: More than 30,000 objects larger than 10 cm are cataloged, but an estimated 1.2+ million pieces of debris between 1 cm and 10 cm—each capable of mission-ending kinetic damage at orbital speeds exceeding 17,000 mph—remain difficult to track continuously. #spacejunk
@bigearthdata.ai@chikyufoundation.comA decommissioned American spy satellite suddenly broke into pieces nearly 500 miles above Earth on September 13, 2026. Military tracking networks confirmed the breakup of USA 32, but investigators are still trying to figure out what caused the 38-year-old spacecraft to explode. #spacejunk
@chikyufoundation.comChilbolton Observatory, operated by the UK's national space laboratory monitor UK-licensed satellites and fast-multiplying fragments of space debris swirling around them. ESA says there are more than 46,000 pieces of debris weighing a total of 17,000 tonnes currently in orbit.
🇬🇧 #spacejunk #uk
@chikyufoundation.comA good overview of the #Kessler Syndrome. This is just one of those catastrophes that will happen someday and seem so avoidable in retrospect.
More to come about possible prospective solutions in the coming days….
@chikyufoundation.comMoving from tracking spacejunk to deorbiting it.
#spacejunk #deorbit
@chikyufoundation.com@chikyufoundation.comWhat is space junk or space debris? Is it dangerous? What is the future of space junk? Does space junk or debris eventually come back to earth? Are we collecting, tracking, or removing space junk?
Samantha Parry Kenyon shares her expertise on space debris. #spacejunk #LEO #debris 🛰️
@chikyufoundation.comSpace launch competitors think it’s time for a new model of pricing in the launch market. Against the backdrop of SpaceX winding down the Falcon 9 launch program, other launchers say the market is on the verge of a reset.
🚀🛰️ #spacex #falcon9 #LEO #spacejunk
@chikyufoundation.comAstra has updated its timeline for its next-generation launch vehicle, projecting early 2027 for the maiden flight and operational introduction of Rocket 4.0 from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia. #launchcapacity #rocket #LEO #astra #spacejunk
@chikyufoundation.comSpace Junk threat: The European Space Agency (ESA) has warned that Earth’s orbital environment is becoming increasingly congested, with rising numbers of satellites, rocket bodies and fragments creating greater risks for future space missions. #spacejunk #debris #orbit #kessler #LEO
@knowledgezone.bsky.socialA new #Collider can #Teach us about the origin of #Matter : Medium
An Extreme #SolarStorm May Be Even More #Devastating Than Previously #Imagined : WIRED
'#Crazy #Idea' succeeds: #Scientists #Monitor #SpaceJunk with #Radio #Telescopes : Space
@chikyufoundation.comAmid Crowded Skies, FAA Kills Rule Aimed at Regulating Space Junk
#LEO #rule #faa #regulating #spacejunk #skies #sky_love #space
@orbitalradar.bsky.social28 objects are due to reenter Earth's atmosphere within 7 days. Most will burn up, but the largest ones are worth watching. With 29,395 tracked in orbit, reentry timing holds real uncertainty.
Track them live: orbitalradar.com/satellite-…
@oopsmyopinion.bsky.social
@dustcircle.bsky.socialCreepy #Space #Robots Could Clean Up #SpaceJunk |
@gltch.ioInspired by eggshells, Chinese researchers are testing a new spacecraft shield vs. the ~1M+ pieces of orbital debris threatening satellites. 🚀 #spacejunk
Source: https://phys.org/news/2026-09-eggshells-aluminum-material-significant-space.html