A meeting of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). Credit: United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs By Frederick Jenet, David Schuman, Cecilia I. Silberberg, Danica Vallone and Paul Wunderl, Published by Space News, 14 April 2026 The 63rd Session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee
An illustration of satellites breaking up in Earth orbit. (Image credit: Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library/Getty Images) By Richard Speed, Published by The Register, 31 March 2026 Starlink satellite 34343 has suffered an "anomaly on-orbit," spraying debris at an altitude of approximately 560 km above Earth. The company recently passed the
In this March 28, 2005, photo, a sign posted outside a water well indicates perchlorate contamination at a site in Rialto, Calif. Upholding a Trump-era environmental policy, EPA says it will not regulate the drinking water contaminant that has been linked to brain damage in infants. AP Photo/Ric Francis, File
A simulation of the full network of Starlink satellites when their first 12,000 satellites are up - an additional 30,000 have been requested. While delivering high-speed internet globally is a noble goal, destroying ground-based astronomy, astrophotography, and even stargazing as a hobby should be reckoned with as extraordinary collateral damage.
A long-exposure photograph in the northern hemisphere showing satellites in the night skyAlan Dyer/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images By Tori Bonidie and Magnus L'Argent, Published by Astrobites, 26 February 2026 Across regions and borders, cultures and customs, the one thing we share is the night sky. Access to the
Artist's impression of a Falcon 9 upper stage with payload in 2015. (SpaceX) By Robyn Schofield & Robert George Ryan, Published by Science Alert, 23 February 2026 Space junk returning to the Earth is introducing metal pollution to the pristine upper atmosphere as it burns up on re-entry, a new
The Falcon 9 upper stage re-entering the atmosphere above Berlin, Germany, on February 19, 2025. Gerd Baumgarten By Passant Rabie, Published by Space & Spaceflight, 19 February 2026 For the first time, scientists were able to directly detect upper-atmospheric pollution from space debris. On February 19, 2025, a Falcon 9
Long exposure photographs showed the Falcon 9 rocket debris over Berlin in 2025 By Georgina Rannard, Published by the BBC, 19 February 2026 When a SpaceX rocket failure set the skies aflame over western Europe last February, no-one was sure if the debris was also polluting our atmosphere. Now scientists
