Earth orbits

In a tense moment for space safety, two satellites—NASA’s TIMED spacecraft and the defunct Russian Cosmos 2221—came alarmingly close to smashing into each other above Earth, prompting concerns about the risks of space debris.Taking out the Trash (in Space)The near miss happened at approximately 1:30 a.m. ET Wednesday, as the two satellites brushed past each other some 378 miles (608 kilometers) above Earth, according to LeoLabs, a California-based company specializing in tracking and analyzing objects in Low Earth…

Earth’s orbit will be monitored by a watchful set of robotic eyes, the first commercial constellation of satellites with the ability to keep track of objects in space to avoid collisions between spacecraft.Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX Satellites Threaten Their ViewCanadian startup NorthStar is getting ready to launch the first four of its Space Situational Awareness (SSA) satellites equipped with advanced optical devices for detecting space objects and star trackers for accurate positioning. The…

Zipping far above Earth, it’s not exactly easy for satellites to find a corner gas station when the fuel gauge gets low. To tackle this cosmic conundrum, a Space Force-funded initiative is working on an innovative solution to refuel distant satellites on-the-fly.Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX Satellites Threaten Their ViewOn Wednesday, Space Force awarded Astroscale a $25.5 million contract to design and construct an orbital transfer vehicle, also known as a space tug. The vehicle, dubbed the Astroscale…

A satellite in geostationary orbit ran into some trouble when the device meant to position its solar arrays towards the Sun malfunctioned, preventing it from being fully charged. As a result, the internet satellite will not be able to fulfill its primary goal of providing continuous connectivity to Alaska. Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX Satellites Threaten Their ViewThe Arcturus satellite, built by California-based company Astranis, launched in April onboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket and was…

Conceptual image of space junk in Earth orbit. Illustration: SCIPHO (AP)An old rocket body and military satellite—large pieces of space junk dating back to the Soviet Union—nearly smashed into each other onFriday morning, in an uncomfortable near-miss that would’ve resulted in thousands of pieces of debris had they collided.LeoLabs, a private company that tracks satellites and derelict objects in low Earth orbit, spotted the near-collision in radar data. The company, which can track objects as tiny as 3.9 inches (10…

In a new report, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reevaluate how large constellations of satellites are regulated and approved for launch. GAO’s analysis, released on Wednesday, comes amid an ever-increasing number of satellites orbiting Earth—with new objects being sent to space at least weekly. The U.S. is responsible for the largest single share of those launches.“By 2030, tens of thousands of commercial satellites are expected to join the…

The view of northwest Sudan from the International Space Station, which operates in low Earth orbit.Photo: NASAThe place we call space officially starts about 60 miles (100 kilometers) above the surface, a delineation known as the Kármán line. But that’s not a feasible altitude for orbit, owing to atmospheric drag. To reach orbit, an object must ascend to altitudes starting at around 100 miles (160 km) above the surface. This is the lowest possible boundary of low Earth orbit, or LEO, which extends to a maximum altitude…

SatNav satellites transmit signals from space to receivers on Earth.Illustration: ESAThe European Space Agency (ESA) plans to test new navigation satellites that will orbit much closer to Earth than those already in place, in an effort to deliver more accurate location data to our everyday devices.Currently, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are typically placed in medium Earth orbits about 6,300 to 12,500 miles (10,000 to 20,000 kilometers) above the surface and they send location data to smartphones, cars, and…

A growing number of satellites in low Earth orbit is increasing the chances of collisions in space.Illustration: ESA The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a draft order that would require satellites to reenter Earth’s atmosphere just five years after their missions end, rather than the current 25-year deadline, in what is an effort to reduce space junk. FCC released the order on Thursday and is scheduled to take it up on September 29 for a scheduled open meeting. The draft order recommends the disposal of…