"[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."