Russian ‘inspector’ satellite appears to break apart in orbit, raising debris concerns

An illustration of satellites breaking up in Earth orbit. (Image credit: Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library/Getty Images) By Andrew Jones, Published by Space.com, 30 January 2026 Ground-based observations suggest the former geostationary inspector satellite suffered a fragmentation event months after retirement, raising new concerns about debris in high Earth orbit. A

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GAO flags risks in Space Development Agency’s missile-tracking satellite program

Rendering of L3Harris' Tracking Layer Tranche 2 missile-tracking satellites for the Space Development Agency. Credit: L3Harris By Sandra Erwin, Published by Space News, 28 January 2026 Congressional watchdog says SDA is overestimating technology readiness ORLANDO, Fla. — A congressional watchdog is warning that the Pentagon’s ambitious effort to overhaul missile

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China satellite near miss prompts Starlink to reduce altitudes — more than 4,000 satellites pulled to 300-mile orbit to increase ‘space safety’

Image credit: SpaceX via Flickr By Jowi Morales, Published by Tom's Hardware, 28 January 2025 The 70km (43mi) altitude reduction will reduce the risk of collisions for Starlink satellites. Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Software reported that Starlink has reduced its altitude for a big chunk

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U.S. Space Command to bring commercial firms into classified wargame on nuclear threats in space

A military exercise known as Southern Star integrates across space and cyber domains. Credit: U.S. Space Command By Sandra Erwin, Published by Space News, 28 January 2026 Upcoming tabletop exercise will examine response to weapons of mass destruction in orbit ORLANDO, Fla. — U.S. Space Command will, for the first

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Space Command’s case for orbital logistics: Why the Pentagon is being urged to think beyond launch

Rendering of Orbit Fab’s refueling service architecture consists of propellant depots in various orbits, and shuttles that will deliver fuel from those depots to client spacecraft. Credit: Orbit Fab By Sandra Erwin, Published by Space News, 28 January 2026 Gen. Stephen Whiting: As space becomes a contested military domain, the

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Space Force’s Newest Reconnaissance Satellites Could Come Online by 2030

GSSAP space domain awareness satellite (Air Force Space Command archive) By Courtney Albon, Published by Air and Space Forces, 26 January 2026 The Space Force plans to award initial contracts as soon as next month for a fleet of small, maneuverable satellites designed to monitor activity in geosynchronous orbit that

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