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
An artist's illustration of a satellite crashing back to Earth. (Image: Getty Images) By Raquel Brandao, Published by Earth.com, 10 February 2026 Seismic sensors used in earthquake monitoring equipment have have demonstrated that they can also track sonic booms from space debris entering Earth’s atmosphere. This new method allows scientists
Artist's illustration of a NASA moon base under construction. (Image credit: NASA) By Andrew Jones, Published by Space.com, 9 February 2026 The question is no longer if space governance must evolve, but how quickly it can keep pace with the realities of the new space age. Global activity in Earth
The atmospheric reentry process generates extreme heat and mechanical loads, which lead to the satellite's disintegration at the altitude of about 45 miles. (Image credit: ESA) By Leonard David, Published by Space.com, 31 January 2026 "Understanding how different materials behave as they burn up could help engineers design satellites that
The Cygnus re-supply vehicle, which delivers cargo to the International Space Station, burning up in the atmosphere during its reentry. (Image credit: ESA/Alexander Gerst) By Tereza Pultarova, Published by Space.com, 24 January 2026 "Starlink satellites demise over the Pacific, but there is no way to actually check that out." At
By Sandra V, Published by Union Rayo, 15 January 2026 The U.S. has sent a safety alert to airlines due to an issue that is getting worse: space junk. This junk comes from rockets that explode or fail during their launches. The alert was published by the Federal Aviation Administration
An artist's illustration of SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites in orbit. (Image credit: SpaceX) By Mike Wall, Published by Space.com, 23 December 2025 Vantor's WorldView-3 satellite snapped the stunning photo on Dec. 18. We just got a great up-close look at a SpaceX Starlink satellite in orbit, thanks to Vantor's WorldView-3
