space debris

Fraunhofer FHR’s radar tracking of ESA’s ERS-2 satellite revealed crucial structural changes before re-entry, enhancing understanding of satellite disintegration and aiding in more accurate future predictions. Credit: Fraunhofer FHRESA’s ERS-2 satellite successfully reentered Earth’s atmosphere after nearly 30 years in orbit, with its final moments tracked by Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute. The unexpected detachment of its solar array provided crucial data for improving satellite reentry predictions.Following a hugely…

Radar image of the satellite ERS-2 from February 19, 2024: Solar module intact. Credit: Fraunhofer FHRThe European Space Agency (ESA) and the joint Space Situational Awareness Centre commissioned Fraunhofer FHR to accompany the re-entry of the retired ERS-2 satellite. With its unique space observation radar TIRA (Tracking and Imaging Radar), the final orbits were measured with high precision and the last images of ERS-2 were generated. For the first time, changes in the structure during re-entry were captured in…

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…

ERS-2 was launched in 1995, four years after ERS-1, the first European Remote Sensing satellite. At the time, these two satellites were the most sophisticated European Earth observation spacecraft ever developed, delivering new information to study Earth’s land, oceans, atmosphere, and polar ice, as well as being called upon to monitor natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. In 2011, the mission was retired and the spacecraft was reorbited into a safe disposal orbit in compliance with ESA space-debris mitigation…

ERS-2, a satellite that revolutionized our perspective of our planet and understanding of climate change, was launched in 1995. After 13 years of orbital decay, mainly driven by solar activity, the satellite will now naturally reenter Earth’s atmosphere. ERS-2 is now expected to undergo atmospheric reentry and begin to break up on February 21, 2024. Credit: ESAERS-2 is expected to undergo atmospheric reentry and begin to break up today.Throughout its 16-year working life, the second European Remote Sensing satellite,…

In a pioneering effort to address the growing concern of space debris, Japanese scientists from Kyoto University, in collaboration with Sumitomo Forestry, have developed a unique spacecraft known as the LignoSat. What sets this satellite apart is its construction material- magnolia wood.The decision to explore wood as a viable alternative to traditional satellite metals stems from the environmental impact caused by burning satellites re-entering Earth's atmosphere. Tiny alumina particles generated during this process…

The Cluster mission comprises four satellites flying in a tetrahedral formation and collecting the most detailed data yet on small-scale changes in near-Earth space, and on the interaction between the charged particles of the solar wind and Earth’s magnetosphere. Credit: ESAAfter over two decades of pioneering research into Earth’s magnetosphere and space weather, ESA’s Cluster mission is ending, with the first satellite, ‘Salsa’, scheduled for reentry in September 2024.ESA’s Cluster mission, which has spent 24 years…

An unspecified defect in early model Starlink satellites has prompted SpaceX to preemptively deorbit the units before they potentially fail and become hazards in low Earth orbit. While the company remains confident that the deorbiting of these problematic units will prevent any issues, this incident underscores the challenges and uncertainties in navigating the realm of gigantic satellite networks.Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX Satellites Threaten Their ViewThe deorbiting of Starlink satellites is a…

After 13 years of slow orbital decay, a legacy satellite will finally be put out of its misery by plunging through Earth’s atmosphere where it will burn up into tiny fragments.Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX Satellites Threaten Their ViewThe second European Remote Sensing satellite, ERS-2, is scheduled for an atmospheric reentry in mid-February, ending a 16-year mission that revolutionized our understanding of climate change and how we observe Earth from space, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced…

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…