Space debris as a research area focuses on the characterization, modeling, monitoring, and mitigation of artificial objects orbiting Earth that are no longer functional, including defunct satellites, spent rocket bodies, and fragmentation products. It encompasses orbital dynamics and environment modeling, collision probability assessment, re-entry prediction, material response during breakup, and the long-term evolution of the debris population. Research addresses sensor technologies and data processing for tracking, space surveillance and tracking (SST) architectures, mitigation and remediation strategies (e.g., post-mission disposal, active debris removal), and the development of technical standards and guidelines to preserve the sustainability and safety of space operations.
More than 10,000 Starlink satellites currently orbit Earth. We see them crawling across dark skies, no matter how remote our location, and streaking through images from research telescopes.
Space Exploration
Mar 29, 2026
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Debris from moonbound spacecraft has left craters on the lunar surface since the U.S. Apollo missions. But the moon is not used to being surrounded by debris. With an expected resurgence in lunar missions in the coming years, ...
Space Exploration
Mar 26, 2026
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Materials scientist Dr. Yige Sun, from the Department of Materials and Linacre College at the University of Oxford, and the Faraday Institution, argues that as space becomes critical infrastructure for the global digital ...
Space Exploration
Mar 24, 2026
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A suspected meteor that fell over the Cleveland area on Tuesday shook homes and startled residents who heard a boom that some compared to an explosion.
Space Exploration
Mar 17, 2026
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An old NASA science satellite plunged uncontrolled from orbit and reentered over the Pacific on Wednesday.
Space Exploration
Mar 12, 2026
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Look up on a clear night and you'll see the streaks of our new space age. What you don't see is the growing fallout for the atmosphere that keeps us alive.
Space Exploration
Mar 8, 2026
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When we look up at the night sky and see a satellite glide past, we might not consider climate change or the ozone layer. Space may feel separate from the environmental systems that sustain life on Earth. But increasingly, ...
Space Exploration
Feb 26, 2026
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Asteroid mining companies are finally getting off the ground, and that is raising some concerns about the impact those activities will have on the space environment. A new paper published in Acta Astronautica by Anna Marie ...
Space Exploration
Feb 24, 2026
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Space junk returning to Earth is introducing metal pollution to the pristine upper atmosphere as it burns up on re-entry, a new study has found.
Space Exploration
Feb 20, 2026
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When part of a SpaceX rocket re-entered Earth's atmosphere exactly a year ago, it created a spectacuglar fireball that streaked across Europe's skies, delighting stargazers and sending a team of scientists rushing toward ...
Space Exploration
Feb 19, 2026
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