"Russia is a waning space power, but President Vladimir Putin has made sure he still has a saber to rattle in orbit. This has become more evident in recent weeks, when we saw a pair of rocket launches carrying top-secret military payloads, the release of a mysterious object from a Russian mothership in orbit, and a sequence of complex formation-flying maneuvers with a trio of satellites nearly 400 miles up. In isolation, each of these things would catch the attention of Western analysts. Taken together, the frenzy of maneuvers represents one of the most significant surges in Russian military space activity since the end of the Cold War. ... Russia is targeting what's left of its capacity for innovation in space toward pestering the US military. US intelligence officials last year said they believed Russia was pursuing a project to place a nuclear weapon in space. The detonation of a nuclear bomb in orbit could muck up the space environment for years, indiscriminately disabling countless satellites, whether they're military or civilian.”

"Commerce zeroed out funding for TracCSS in its fiscal 2026 budget request at a time when the burgeoning number of commercial satellites is making the domain increasingly congested and potentially less safe. The administration argues the private sector should be responsible for tracking satellites and warning operators about potential collisions. A spokesman for Space Operations Command (SpOC) provided a statement that said the command will 'continue to advocate' for the objectives outlined in SPD-3. The TracCSS solution was an answer to that policy direction, and without it, the next steps are unclear.”

"Hundreds of U.S. companies on Tuesday urged Congress to back off a plan to kill a small federal office tasked with managing satellite traffic in space, a badly needed civilian effort initiated by President Donald Trump's first administration but now imperiled by cuts. The White House's 2026 budget proposal seeks $10 million for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Space Commerce, an 84% cut from the office's 2025 funding that would terminate Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS), a civilian system to help prevent satellite collisions and alert operators of potential crashes.”

"[University of Southampton professor Hugh] Lewis doesn’t fault operators like SpaceX, which he says goes above and beyond by choosing orbits where spacecraft are quickly pulled back into the atmosphere, maneuvering to avoid collisions with other satellites, and deconflicting with astronomers. The fundamental issue, Lewis says, is that each new object in orbit increases risk. Even with all the best practices, humans keep putting more spacecraft in orbit—and the ability to actively remove debris from space is still years away. Meanwhile, operators have registered plans with the ITU to launch one million new spacecraft.”

"The increasing frequency of rocket launches is crowding the region of space closest to Earth, known as low-Earth orbit—a zone that’s already peppered with tens of thousands of bits of decades-old hardware, some of it dating back to the Cold War. Experts caution that the danger posed by all this space junk is rising sharply. Incidents like the one in Saskatchewan 'are going to become much more common,' says Lawler. Eventually, she says, 'someone will die from this.'”

"The GAO said NASA had identified risks with both the Blue Origin and SpaceX landers due to 'inadequate controls for flammable materials'—fears that a combination of oxygen and pressure levels could lead to a fire, and potentially an Apollo 1-style tragedy. Testing is ongoing to understand and mitigate the issues... The agency is also worried that SpaceX’s training facilities will be inadequate to train astronauts to manually control the Starship in emergency scenarios. "

"As space junk increases, more operators are choosing to launch without any insurance at all. To compensate, companies are cutting back on the cost of satellites and launching more of them at faster rates, thus creating a feedback loop as the cheaper satellites break up more easily and add to the problem. Behind the predicament are two vectors moving in opposite directions: The cost of launching satellites is falling, while the cost of insuring them continues to soar.”

"Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has threatened legal action over falling debris and contamination from billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket launches across the border in the United States. Mexico’s government was studying which international laws were being violated in order to file 'the necessary lawsuits' because 'there is indeed contamination', Sheinbaum told her morning news conference on Wednesday.”

"The international space industry is on a growth trajectory, but new research shows a rapid increase in rocket launches would damage the ozone layer. Several hundred rockets are launched globally each year by a mix of commercial companies and nation-state space programmes. These take place at around 20 sites, almost all in the northern hemisphere, with the most prolific launch rates currently from the United States, China, New Zealand and Russia. Our latest research explores the tipping point when launching more rockets will begin to cause problems. Our findings show that once rates reach 2,000 launches a year – about a ten-fold increase on last year – the current healing of the ozone layer slows down. We argue that with care, we can avoid this future. The economic benefits of industry growth can be realised, but it will take a collaborative effort.”

"Victoria Samson, Chief Director, Space Security and Stability at the Secure World Foundation, echoed these concerns. 'Generally speaking, this is not good for anyone who wants to continue to receive benefits from the use of space. Pieces of debris at that altitude will stick around for years, if not decades,' Samson told SpaceNews. 'Leaving those rocket bodies at 700-800 km altitude is incredibly irresponsible. China is just beginning to launch its very large constellations so there is time to fix this before it becomes a grave danger.'”

"Invisible radiation leaking out of private satellites, like SpaceX's Starlink spacecraft, is disrupting radio astronomers' ability to detect important signals from across the universe. Some researchers are so worried about this invisible pollution that they think we could eventually reach an 'inflection point,' beyond which ground-based astronomy instruments could become radio-blind to the cosmos.”

"Eruptions from the sun are shortening the lives of satellites in Earth orbit, particularly large constellations like SpaceX’s Starlink – which could be both beneficial and a cause for concern. The sun goes through an 11-year cycle of activity, peaking with a period known as solar maximum, which most recently occurred in late 2024. During these periods, increased eruptions from the sun can create geomagnetic storms that heat our planet’s atmosphere, causing it to swell outwards in size and increasing drag on satellites. This effect is only becoming apparent now because of a boom in satellite launches, particularly by SpaceX.”

"Crucial research into the effects of rocket and satellite air pollution on Earth's atmosphere is reportedly being cut as part of Donald Trump administration's cuts to climate science budgets. Experts say the cancellation comes at the worst time and will cause a major setback for the emerging field of science. 'Just last month, we've averaged three Starlink re-entries per day. That's a lot of metal being added to the upper atmosphere. Right now is a very sensitive time to cut this research. The re-entries are really rising quickly. If we stop measuring what is happening in the atmosphere right now, we could be way beyond the point where we can stop the damage that's being done.'”

"Advocates for dark and quiet skies are outgunned. Many would call the rise of constellations in LEO an economic and tech boon for everything from connectivity to EO. Astronomers, however, call them a nuisance getting in the way of their clear shot of the night sky. Without any robust regulations to protect astronomical observations from interference in orbit, astronomers have been forced to bring their concerns directly to satellite operators in the hope of finding common ground. It’s a David and Goliath story—if David had hung up the slingshot and used his words instead. Unsurprisingly, results have varied.”

"U.S. officials are turning their attention to a pressing problem in space. Not asteroids crashing into earth, but something else: space debris. Thousands of satellites have been launched into space because our modern life depends on them. There are about 10,000 active satellites in low earth orbit right now. But as more and more of them go up, space is getting crowded. And where there’s crowds, there’s waste. Millions of pieces of space debris are circling Earth right now. There are big pieces — everything from dead satellites to spent rocket stages. And tiny ones like blots and paint flecks. But they’re all whizzing around at speeds that can be faster than a speeding bullet.”

"As of May 2025, the low-Earth orbit (LEO) is reportedly bustling with more than 11,700 active satellites. ... The benefits of this satellite surge are undeniable, from enabling internet access in remote areas to enhancing disaster response. However, the rapid proliferation raises serious concerns. Researchers project that active satellites could skyrocket to 1,00,000 before stabilising, a threshold considered the 'carrying capacity' of the LEO. This limit, where collision risks become significant, could be reached by 2050 at current launch rates. Scientists are urging a slowdown in launches until global regulations can address these issues.”

"Space is being commercialised on a scale unseen before. Faced by powerful commercial and political forces and with scant legal protections, artefacts that tell the story of our species' journey into space are in danger of being lost – both in orbit and down here on Earth. Like Stonehenge, these are irreplaceable artefacts and sites that have a timeless significance to humanity because they represent an essential stage in the evolution of our species. They also have another use. Studying these artefacts and sites helps researchers better understand how astronauts interact with new technology, adapt to new environments and develop new cultural practices. The conclusions of researchers can influence the design of future spacecraft and help future space missions succeed.”

"British officials told the U.S. they are concerned about the safety of SpaceX’s plans to fly its next Starship rocket over British territories in the Caribbean, where debris fell earlier this year after two of the company’s rockets exploded, according to documents reviewed by ProPublica. The worries from the U.K. government, detailed in a letter to a top American diplomat on Wednesday, follow the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision last week to grant SpaceX’s request for a fivefold increase in the number of Starship launches allowed this year, from five to 25.”

"Space has dramatically changed in the last decade. It is now cheaper and easier to get stuff into space, and the consequences of this space rush are not fully understood. There are environmental effects here on Earth and the risk of increasing junk in space, and the research and regulation that underpins our understanding and the safety of both environments is being slashed in the US. There have been some studies quantifying the pollution of launches and the potential impact of burning satellites on the higher portions of the atmosphere and the ozone layer. But it’s preliminary work and more research is needed. This is why the timing of funding cuts is the worst possible, according to nonprofit Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).”

"The proposed 'Space Debris Liability and Compensation Act, 2025' establishes a comprehensive legal framework in India to address the growing issue of space debris. It aims to regulate liability and ensure compensation for damage caused by such debris, aligning with international obligations, particularly the 1972 Liability Convention. The Act distinguishes between strict liability for damage on Earth or to aircraft and fault-based liability for damage in outer space. It extends liability to private entities involved in space activities while maintaining the launching State's international responsibility. The legislation also outlines a mechanism for claiming and receiving compensation through the establishment of a dedicated Space Debris Compensation Tribunal.”

"One hundred and ninety-six nations have agreed, through the 1972 World Heritage Convention, on the importance of recognizing and protecting cultural heritage of universal value found here on Earth. Building on this agreement, the international community could require specific access protocols for heritage sites on the Moon. If accepted, these protective measures for heritage sites could also work as a template for scientific and operational sites. This would create a consistent framework that avoids the perception of claiming territory. [But] at this time, the draft U.N. principles released in April 2025 do not directly address the opposing concepts of access and protection.”

"The Kosmos 482 probe crashed to Earth today (May 10) after circling our planet for more than five decades. Reentry occurred at 2:24 a.m. ET (0624 GMT or 9:24 a.m. Moscow time) over the Indian Ocean west of Jakarta, Indonesia, according to Russia's space agency Roscosmos. ... [Its] fall draws attention to our planet's growing space junk problem. On average, three sizeable pieces of debris crash back to Earth every day — and that number is only going to go up.”

"'If we don’t do something to start correcting this problem, in 50 years Kessler Syndrome is going to be a reality and low-Earth orbit is going to useless,' Dr. John Crassidis, a professor at the University of Buffalo who works with NASA, the military, and other agencies to monitor space debris, told The Independent. 'It’s stuff between one centimeter and 10 that we’re really worried about because we can’t see that stuff. I’m worried about astronauts. They’re exposed when they’re doing their spacewalks, and a piece of debris that size can go right through them.'”

"[Retired Canadian astronaut Chris] Hadfield said that the King [Charles]’s concern for the environment surrounding our planet in space was a natural extension of his concern for the natural world. Astra Carta notes: 'Just as we are beginning to care for and nurture our own planet, we must extend these lessons to the ultimate cosmic mystery around us.' 'When you think about how to make the Earth sustainable, you think about what you do with your garbage, your sewage, your smoke,' Hadfield said. He said that the 'Earth and space aren’t different' any more than a room was different from what lies outside the door.”

"Part of a spacecraft that launched in 1972 and has been orbiting Earth for 53 years is due to reenter Earth’s atmosphere in the next two weeks and could crash to the ground intact, scientists say. The 1,100-pound module, known as Kosmos 482, was part of a craft initially bound for Venus when it launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the then-Soviet Union in March 1972. Now it is expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere sometime between May 7 and May 13 in an event that is being closely watched by scientists.”

"Satellites in low-Earth orbit eventually have to come down, and companies rely on the upper atmosphere to act as a waste incinerator. That’s exposed a blind spot in environmental laws: They only deal with pollution from human activities near Earth’s surface. But just as carbon dioxide and ozone-destroying compounds drifting up have created problems, so too can pollutants raining down at ever-increasing rates. ... While the satellites are unlikely to pose as big a risk to the ozone as refrigerants and spray cans in the 1980s, they’re 'going to become more of a problem,' said Columbia’s Tsigaridis. 'We should just not close our eyes now because it is small.'”

"[Space] debris presents not only a physical hazard but also a complex issue for satellite operators trying to navigate these invisible threats. [Sam Nunn School of International Affairs postdoctoral fellow Thomas González] Roberts also highlights the rising number of satellites in popular orbital regimes. Low Earth orbit (LEO) is the closest orbital regime to Earth. Beginning at the upper reaches of Earth's atmosphere, it hosts communication and observational satellites and is by far the most congested region of all. 'There are only a few spots in the near-Earth space environment where satellite operators want to be, effectively making these regions limited natural resources,' he said. 'Without proper coordination, these valuable spaces will be overcrowded, making it harder to avoid collisions and creating more debris.'”

"The OMB document outlines a plan to break up NOAA’s space weather mission and move it to the Department of Homeland Security. It ends NOAA’s office of education and virtually all of its climate portfolio. It also proposes a transfer of the Traffic Coordination System for Space to a nonprofit or a private sector partner, which could be a boon for Elon Musk’s SpaceX. ... The memo also has significant consequences for a planned Earth-observing satellite system known as the GeoXO program. The program, which has operated for five decades, provides observations of space weather, solar activity, and Earth’s atmosphere and oceans.”

"Space is vast, almost incalculably huge. And yet we’ve still found ways to pollute the area immediately surrounding our home planet, proving once again that you’ll know exactly where the human race is been by the garbage we leave behind. Every time a government or private company rockets a satellite into space, we create more space debris. Sometimes it’s a satellite that broke apart, or maybe it’s the explosion of a rocket stage that doesn’t quite make reentry. Whatever it is, we put it there, and now the area just outside of the Earth’s reach is riddled with garbage.”

"Upper stages from Long March 6A and 8 series rockets in orbits between 720 and 780 kilometers [are] well above the threshold of around 600 km typically aligned with global best practices for post-mission disposal, such as a 25 year orbital lifetime. Victoria Samson, Chief Director, Space Security and Stability at the Secure World Foundation [said] 'Leaving those rocket bodies at 700-800 km altitude is incredibly irresponsible. China is just beginning to launch its very large constellations so there is time to fix this before it becomes a grave danger.'”

"Rockets have long been known to pollute the atmosphere in various ways. Depending on the type of rocket fuel used, launches produce nitrogen oxides, chlorine, black carbon particles, water vapor, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide — and no propellant avoids creating of some kind of emissions. "We're starting to see that we might be reversing some of the gains we've made from the Montreal Protocol through these increased rocket launch and re-entry rates," [Dr. Connor Barker, a research fellow in atmospheric chemistry and physical geography at University College London] said. So reducing debris in space might mean increasing the pollutants in our atmosphere."

"Landing tests at Johnston Atoll in the Pacific could advance a plan to use rockets to ship military cargo but could also threaten an important nesting site."

"While all spacecraft are at risk of colliding with space junk, environmental monitoring satellites may be in the most immediate danger. Satellites like the Copernicus Sentinels provide real-time monitoring of Earth's climate and weather. They can also provide scientists and governments with vital data on natural disasters like wildfires and volcanic eruptions, droughts and floods. If even one part of these satellite constellations were knocked out, it could severely disrupt the entire data-gathering operation."

"[T]he extrapolation of the current changing use of orbits and launch traffic, combined with continued fragmentations and limited post mission disposal success rate could lead to a cascade of collision events over the next centuries. Even in case of no further launches into orbit, it is expected that collisions among the space debris objects already present will lead to a further growth in space debris population in Low Earth Orbit."

"Combined with rising trade barriers, which will lower incentives for space companies moving offshore and defang threats to do so, policymakers around the world may become more openminded toward legally binding space sustainability and safety measures, and the best balance between voluntary measures and binding measures. Even if the EU Space Act does not include every measure identified in the analysis of the source documents and senior leader statements above, just the fact that the EU Space Act establishes some binding measures regarding collision avoidance, information sharing, cybersecurity, and other space activities will break with past reluctance to go down that path and establish a new model. The United States and other stakeholders will find new challenges to their preference for laissez faire-driven space traffic management and space sustainability policies."

"The technology and consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton unveiled a concept for a mega-constellation of satellites designed to fulfill the Trump administration’s 'Golden Dome' vision for a comprehensive missile-defense shield to protect the United States. The satellites would serve dual purposes as both detection systems and 'kill vehicles' that would de-orbit, target, and physically slam into threats without requiring missiles in space. ... Approximately 40% of a satellite would burn up upon re-entering the atmosphere, with about 10% potentially reaching the ground as debris."

"While growth in the space industry is generally positive, it also poses challenges, including space debris and orbital congestion, which can put spacecraft at risk. Preservation of the space environment, such as critical earth orbits, is essential to the industry’s growth. As a space sector leader, the United States can have a vital role and ample motivation to lead in sustainable space practices and international cooperative efforts to help preserve the space environment."

"'What is actually making our job more difficult today compared to a few years ago, is the rapid increase of active satellites. ... The effort we have to put today in this coordination activities is enormous, and rapidly increasing. And the complexity of the process results also in increased collision risks.'"

"Space startup Gravitics has been awarded a $60 million contract by the US Space Force to develop an "orbital carrier" that can deploy satellites from orbit. Such a spacecraft could give the military a much faster way to respond to threats to national security in orbit compared to sending a satellite on a rocket into space. While many questions remain about what exactly this carrier could be capable of — unsurprising, considering the sensitive nature of the plans — it's yet another sign that the US military is looking to beef up its presence in orbit, highlighting a brewing 'space arms race.'"

"A large glowing spiral visible in the night sky on Monday is believed to have been caused by a SpaceX rocket launch in the US. The Met Office said the shape was likely produced by a frozen plume of fuel from the rocket's exhaust, which reflected the sunlight and appeared to spin in the atmosphere. The cloud-like shape was visible for several minutes above the UK and elsewhere in Europe before fading."

"The U.S., ... as a nation, must pursue multilateral agreements that establish norms of behavior and rules of engagement in space. Such agreements can help mitigate conflicts, promote cooperation in the responsible use of space resources, ensure safety in operations, and protect the space environment, while aligning the interests of various stakeholders."

"It is worth noting that U.S. officials are broadly in alignment with critics of weaponizing space about the potentially catastrophic downstream impacts of any sustained campaign of attacks on assets in orbit. Saltzman and others have stressed a need therefore to focus on non-destructive counter-space capabilities to reduce potential risks, but also the need to be prepared for the worst."

"The US Space Force observed 'five different objects in space manoeuvring in and out and around each other in synchrony and in control’, General Michael Guetlein, the USSF’s vice-chief of space operations, told a conference in Washington. 'That’s what we call dogfighting in space. They are practising tactics, techniques and procedures to do on-orbit space operations from one satellite to another,’ he said at the annual McAleese Defence Programmes Conference."

"Astronomers fear that as space becomes ever easier to access, more companies will follow Avant Space and StartRocket in becoming drawn to the allure of space-based advertising, with few, if any, regulatory limits on their potentially disruptive plans. ... Until the current space law is amended—which could take years, if not decades—the burden falls on governments to make judgment calls to regulate companies operating in their respective nations."

"Satellites play a crucial part in connecting people, including bringing Internet to remote communities and emergency responders. But the rising number can be a problem for scientists because the satellites interfere with ground-based astronomical observations, by creating bright streaks on images and electromagnetic interference with radio telescopes. The satellite boom also poses other threats, including adding pollution to the atmosphere. ... Researchers are trying to raise the profile of these and other concerns linked to satellite fleets."

"Without decisive action, Earth’s orbital environment could become so perilous that future exploration and commercial activity will be severely restricted. Only through a coordinated global effort can we ensure that space remains a safe and viable domain for generations to come. ... The goal should be not just to clear up space but to also do so in a way that does not create further ecological consequences."

"The skies are a global resource, shared by all of humanity, and it is crucial that decisions about its use account for the needs of all stakeholders. Satellite connectivity remains a boon for many people, including Indigenous communities in remote and under-served areas. This is why the conversation about astronomy and satellites cannot be reduced to ‘satellites are bad and we must save the night skies for astronomy’. Satellites and astronomy can co-exist. It is up to everyone to find the path forward together."

"Every year, cadets at the Air Force Academy grapple with scenarios that highlight the growing disconnect between current space law and operational realities. For instance, do anti-satellite missile tests constitute harmful interference with another space actor? While the existing legal interpretation on the issue is unclear, crowded satellite constellations in low earth orbit suggest that they do. Cadets’ insights regularly remind me that they are training to operate in a space environment governed by legal frameworks that long predate today’s technology."

"Today, with launch costs plummeting and micro-technology enabling much smaller (and lighter) satellites, society is becoming increasingly reliant on this off-earth capability, whether for navigation by land, air or sea, for weather forecasting or for the precision timing signal that forms the basis for global banking transactions. How can society protect the space environment, and what role should the UK play in this vital pillar of national defence?" 

"While Intuitive Machines' Athena lander quickly met its demise after awkwardly stumbling and ending up on its side, Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost spacecraft, which touched down just a few days earlier, is leaping into action. In a video shared this week, the robot's pneumatic drill can be seen plowing through the rocky lunar surface, sending sparks and pieces of rubble flying." 

"In a study appearing in Nature Sustainability, the researchers report that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases can cause the upper atmosphere to shrink. An atmospheric layer of special interest is the thermosphere, where the International Space Station and most satellites orbit today. When the thermosphere contracts, the decreasing density reduces atmospheric drag, a force that pulls old satellites and other debris down to altitudes where they will encounter air molecules and burn up."

"The US military's robotic mini-space shuttle dropped out of orbit and glided to a runway in California late Thursday, ending a 434-day mission that pioneered new ways of maneuvering in space. ... Space Command could transform how it operates by employing 'maneuver warfare' as the Army, Navy and Air Force do. 'We think we need to move toward a joint function of true maneuver advantage in space.'"

"A private lunar lander is no longer working after landing sideways in a crater near the moon’s south pole and its mission is over, officials said Friday. The news came less than 24 hours after the botched landing attempt by Texas-based Intuitive Machines. 'The mission has concluded and teams are continuing to assess the data collected throughout the mission,' the company said in a statement."

"A SpaceX rocket exploded shortly after it was launched from Texas on Thursday, grounding flights and triggering warnings about falling spaceship debris. SpaceX confirmed the un-crewed ship had suffered 'a rapid unscheduled disassembly' during its ascent into space, and lost contact with the ground. This was the eighth mission to test the rocket, and its second consecutive failure." (BBC, 7 March 2025)

"[Solving the problem of space debris] isn’t just about preserving a clear path for future astronauts. It’s about ensuring that space remains a safe and viable domain for future generations. The promise of space exploration—solving some of humanity’s most pressing challenges, from climate monitoring to global connectivity—is at stake. ... The consequences of inaction are dire: a future where space becomes too dangerous to navigate, satellite services fail unpredictably, and the looming risk of collisions stifles innovation."