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

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The International Space Station with the bright Earth below.

International Space Station dodges orbital debris from Russian anti-satellite test

By Tariq Malik published

A piece of Russian space junk forced the International Space Station to steer clear to avoid a chance encounter with orbital debris on Thursday (June 16).

The Astroscale ELSA-d spacecraft nearly performed a space debris capture during an orbital test.

Astroscale space junk removal satellite nearly catches target in orbital test

By Tereza Pultarova published

Space cleanup company Astroscale nearly succeeded at catching a simulated piece of space junk but was forced to suspend the demonstration due to a technical anomaly.

This NASA graphic depicts the amount of space junk orbiting Earth as of 2013, based on data from NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office. Image released on May 1, 2013.

Old Russian rocket motor breaks up in orbit, generating new cloud of space debris

By Mike Wall published

A small motor from a space tug that helped deliver three Russian satellites to orbit in 2007 went boom last month.

The International Space Station as pictured from a SpaceX Crew Dragon during a November 2021 fly around. The White House has directed NASA to extend space station operations through 2030.

Watery graves: Should we be ditching big spacecraft over Earth's oceans?

By Leonard David published

Is dumping space junk over the South Pacific a good idea? Or can we do better?

A rogue rocket stage was photographed by the Virtual Telescope Project on Feb. 8, 2022, about a month it slammed into the far side of the moon on March 4, 2022. Experts say the stage is part of the rocket that launched China’s Chang’e 5-T1 mission in 2014.

Rogue rocket body imaged weeks before its moon impact (photo)

By Elizabeth Howell published

A Virtual Telescope Project image shows a rogue rocket stage on the road to oblivion, nearly a month before it smashed into the the moon on Friday (March 4).

Starry Night Software

A rogue 3-ton piece rocket debris just collided with the moon

By Elizabeth Howell last updated

The space junk struck the moon's far side at 7:25 a.m. EST (1225 GMT) on Friday (March 4), setting off a hunt for the crater left behind.

The rocket stage will strike the far side of the moon, shown here in an artist's impression.

An out-of-control piece of rocket space junk is crashing into the moon: Here's what to know

By Elizabeth Howell published

There's some dispute about what kind of rocket stage will strike the far side of the moon on March 4.

Projected impact site of the rocket body that will slam into the far side of the moon on March 4, 2022.

Scientists gearing up for rocket body's March 4 moon crash

By Leonard David published

A wayward rocket stage is poised to bombard the moon on Friday (March 4), and the coming impact has earned some scientific attention.

Omega, famous for making the first watch worn on the moon, is now lending its time keeping skills to Privateer's efforts to track every object and piece of debris in Earth orbit.

Famous for its moonwatch, Omega lends time to Privateer space debris track

By Robert Z. Pearlman published

For over 50 years, Omega has helped astronauts keep track of time as they traveled in space and walked on the moon. Now the watchmaker is lending its time to tracking all of the items in Earth orbit.

Artist's impression of NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

When a rogue rocket hits the moon March 4, NASA orbiter will hunt for its crater grave

By Elizabeth Howell published

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter won't be in view during impact time, but may have a follow-up plan.

Image for China says moonbound rocket stage was not from 2014 lunar mission: report

China says moonbound rocket stage was not from 2014 lunar mission: report

By Elizabeth Howell published

Chang'e-5 T1 'completely burned up' in Earth's atmosphere shortly after launch, officials said.

An artist's illustration of a satellite collision from space debris in orbit.

Avoiding satellite collisions: NOAA unveils prototype warning system

By Rahul Rao published

The prototype system, developed by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is designed to alert operators when their spacecraft may be on a collision course with another object.

Artist's conception of the far side of the moon.

Rogue rocket poised to hit moon is Chinese, not a SpaceX Falcon 9, student observations confirm

By Elizabeth Howell published

A group of students has confirmed that a rocket stage poised to hit the moon next month is from a Chinese Long March launcher, not a SpaceX Falcon 9 as originally thought.

An image of the rocket stage headed for a moon impact on March 4 as seen on Feb. 6, 2022, when it was thought to be a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage.

The out-of-control rocket about to hit the moon is not a SpaceX Falcon 9, astronomers now say: report

By Elizabeth Howell published

A rocket set to hit the moon March 4 might not be from SpaceX after all, astronomers now say. It may be a Chinese rocket stage.

Space debris burns up over Puerto Rico on Feb. 7, 2022 in this still from a video captured by a camera operated by the Sociedad de Astronomia del Caribe. It was likely a piece of the recently launched SpaceX Starlink satellite batch that was severely affected by a geomagnetic storm, according to satellite tracker Marco Langbroek.

Fiery death of SpaceX Starlink satellites captured on video after geomagnetic storm

By Mike Wall last updated

A dramatic video serves as a memorial to a star-crossed Starlink satellite that lived fast and died very young.

Artist's illustration of the DSCOVR satellite attached to its SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage shortly after launch in February 2015.

You can still see the SpaceX Falcon 9 booster on a collision course with the moon in a live webcast today

By Samantha Mathewson last updated

A SpaceX Falcon 9 booster will crash into the moon on March 4, and you can track the rogue rocket during a live webcast on Feb. 8.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to send the EchoStar 23 satellite into orbit. The was expected to be SpaceX's last flight that would throw away the Falcon 9 first stage.

SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage breaks up in Earth's atmosphere, 5 years after launch

By Elizabeth Howell published

The rocket stage helped heft the Echostar 23 satellite to orbit in 2017.

discovr falcon 9 spacex

SpaceX rocket stage on a collision course with the moon captured in telescope images

By Elizabeth Howell published

A SpaceX rocket's upper stage was caught on camera careening toward a collision course with the moon.

The problem of "space junk" continues to grow.

US Space Force's 'Orbital Prime' project aims to attack space debris by recycling or removing junk

By Elizabeth Howell published

A new U.S. Space Force video "demands action" on space debris and asks the private sector for their help cleaning up the growing space mess.

Artist's illustration of Astroscale's ELSA-d mission, which in August 2021 released and successfully captured an experimental piece of space junk for the first time.

Spacecraft anomaly stalls Astroscale space debris cleanup test

By Mike Wall published

Astroscale has suspended its ELSA-d demonstration mission in Earth orbit after detecting "anomalous spacecraft conditions," the Japanese startup announced on Twitter Wednesday (Jan. 26).