Space Junk

The amount of trash in Earth orbit, from spent rocket stages, broken satellites and micrometeoroids, is growing. Scientists are working on methods to combat the threat of space junk and orbital debris collisions.

Related Topics: International Space Station, Incredible Space Tech, Military Space, NASA

Latest Updates

illustration of a four-pronged spacecraft reaching out to grasp a cone-shaped piece of space debris. earth and clouds are below and the curve of the planet is visible in the background with space above

Space junk cleanup mission to launch in 2026 aboard Arianespace rocket

By Elizabeth Howell published

A spacecraft operated by Swiss startup ClearSpace will target a piece of debris in orbit after getting there aboard Arianespace's Vega-C rocket.

Artist's illustration of NASA's RHESSI sun-studying spacecraft.

NASA satellite crash not source of mysterious flash of light above Ukraine capital, agency claims

By Ben Turner published

A blinding flash of light set off air raid alerts across Ukraine’s capital city. Officials at first thought it was a falling NASA satellite, but the space agency has said it isn’t.

streaking pieces of debris in the sky

SpaceX Dragon debris lights up sky in bright fireball over western US during reentry (video)

By Elizabeth Howell published

Debris from a SpaceX Dragon broke up over several states in the western US early Thursday (April 17). SpaceX asks residents to report any debris they come across.

an illustration of a satellite with four solar panels arranged in a cross shape

Dead NASA satellite crashes to Earth over the Sahara Desert

By Mike Wall published

NASA's dead, 660-pound (300 kilograms) RHESSI spacecraft reentered Earth's atmosphere on Wednesday night (April 19) near the Sudan-Egypt border.

an illustration of a satellite with four solar panels arranged in a cross shape

Dead NASA satellite will crash to Earth this week

By Mike Wall published

NASA's defunct, 600-pound (270 kilograms) RHESSI spacecraft will reenter Earth's atmosphere on Wednesday (April 19) at 9:30 p.m. ET, plus or minus 16 hours, the U.S. military predicts.

pieces of a satellite floating above earth in an illustration

Space debris problem spurs a bold change in US government regulations

By Elizabeth Howell published

The Federal Communications Commission will create a new Space Bureau to work with regulations regarding space debris, space safety and other low Earth orbit needs.

illustration of broken satellites with pieces in orbit around earth, which is in behind

Cosmic 'highway code' could help combat the space junk threat

By Robert Lea published

New guidelines from governments and the space sector include "rules of the road" that could help reduce risky collisions between space junk and spacecraft.

Missing Image for

China plans to use parachutes to control its rocket debris problem

By Andrew Jones published

China is finalizing testing of a parachute system to help control falling rocket debris downrange.

a module on the exterior of the international space station

This mysterious streak of light over California is actually an old space station antenna meeting its doom (video)

By Josh Dinner published

St. Patrick's Day revelers in Sacramento, California witnessed an old piece of the space station burn up in the atmosphere on March 17.

a streak of fire in the sky

Watch likely Chinese rocket body burn up over Texas (video)

By Brett Tingley published

A video of a fireball streaking across the sky likely shows a Chinese rocket section that burned up in the atmosphere above Texas on March 7.

the international space station as photographed while looking down at Earth

International Space Station fires thrusters to dodge space junk

By Brett Tingley published

The International Space Station (ISS) had to perform a debris avoidance maneuver to dodge yet another piece of space junk on Tuesday (March 14).

A Long March 2D rocket lifts off from Xichang Satellite Launch Center carrying three Yaogan 35 (02) satellites on June 22, 2022. The rocket's upper stage fell to Earth over Texas on March 7, 2023.

Chinese rocket stage crashes to Earth over Texas

By Andrew Jones published

The second stage of a Chinese Long March 2D rocket that launched last year reentered Earth's atmosphere on March 7 as it passed over Texas.

There are more than 100 missions to the Moon planned in the coming years, including the next Artemis missions.

More lunar missions means more space junk around the moon. Two scientists are building a catalog to track the trash.

By Vishnu Reddy published

Scientists and government agencies have been worried about the space junk surrounding Earth for decades. But humanity's starry ambitions are farther reaching than the space just around Earth.

an illustration depicting many large pieces of metallic garbage orbiting the Earth

NASA scientists push for a treaty to tackle risky 'space junk'

By Robert Lea published

As humanity increasingly fills the space around Earth with satellites, scientists have urged for an international treaty that could tackle the orbital debris these operations generate.

The International Space Station photographed by Expedition 56 crew members from a Soyuz spacecraft after undocking on Oct. 4, 2018.

International Space Station fires thrusters to avoid collision with satellite

By Josh Dinner published

The International Space Station (ISS) had to maneuver out of the way of an Earth-imaging satellite on Monday (March 6).

artist's impression of satellite dishes on the moon's surface with the earth in the background

We need more rules for space junk and moon bases, NASA and US officials say

By Elizabeth Howell published

New space rules will need to come fast to support commercial space stations and moon settlements, and guard against swiftly-growing space debris.

Operational and defunct satellite in geostationary orbit.

How many satellites can we safely fit in Earth orbit?

By Tereza Pultarova published

Experts have been sounding alarm bells for years that Earth orbit is getting a bit too crowded. So how many satellites can we actually launch to space before it gets to be too much?

An illustration of a object breaking up in Earth's orbit.

6 types of objects that could cause space debris apocalypse

By Tereza Pultarova published

Thousands of satellites and millions of out-of-control space debris fragments hurtle high above our heads, threatening to collide. Here are the objects that experts fear the most.

The European Space Agency's Drag Augmentation Deorbiting System Nano (ADEO-N) — a 3.6-square-meter aluminum-coated polyamide membrane attached to four metallic booms — successfully deployed from a cubesat in Earth orbit to demonstrate satellite-deorbiting tech.

ESA successfully unfurls sail to drag spacecraft out of orbit

By Andrew Jones published

The European Space Agency has successfully unfurled a sail aboard a used cubesat to help drag the spacecraft down into Earth's atmosphere and out of orbit.

Artist's illustration of a satellite breakup in Earth orbit.

Mysterious Russian satellite breaks up in orbit, generating cloud of debris

By Mike Wall published

The mysterious Russian satellite Kosmos 2499 broke apart in early January, and the U.S. Space Force is already tracking 85 pieces of debris from the incident.