All posts tagged: debris

King Charles launches Project Nova to track space debris from Bermuda

King Charles launches Project Nova to track space debris from Bermuda

Published by skeptic

King Charles III has formally launched a major UK-led effort to monitor space debris, unveiling the £40m Project Nova during the final leg of his visit to Bermuda. The initiative, spearheaded by the UK Space Agency, will establish a global network of telescopes designed to detect and track hazardous objects orbiting Earth. The first phase of Project Nova will see three high-powered telescopes installed on Bermuda’s northwest coast, a strategically selected location in the Atlantic. These instruments are engineered to identify even small fragments of space debris in low Earth orbit – objects capable of damaging satellites and disrupting critical infrastructure. The expected outcome is a significant improvement in the UK’s ability to monitor orbital risks, reduce collision threats, and strengthen international collaboration on space safety. The Bermuda installation will act as a testbed for a broader five-site global network, positioning the UK as a key player in tackling the growing problem of space debris. Why is space debris so dangerous? Space debris refers to defunct human-made objects orbiting Earth, including abandoned satellites, fragments from …

Earth Now Flying Through a Debris Field, Paper Finds

Earth Now Flying Through a Debris Field, Paper Finds

Published by José Betancourt

Sign up to see the future, today Can’t-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech An eagle-eyed astronomer has discovered that an elusive asteroid is apparently shedding hundreds of fragments — and our planet is flying through the ensuing debris field, making for a spectacular show of shooting stars when these small bits of cosmic metal and rock hit Earth’s atmosphere. NASA postdoctoral fellow Patrick Shober published his findings in a paper last month in The Astrophysical Journal, which came about from analyzing reams of data from observatories in California, Canada, Japan, and Europe. As Shober wrote in an essay about his research for The Conversation, he’s working to better understand asteroids, particularly ones that are too small and elusive to detect using typical telescopes — and how they cause meteors, which are bits of rock or dust that heat and light up when they strike our planet’s atmosphere. Many meteors originate from comets, breaking off as these celestial bodies approach the Sun, heating up and sprouting tails of dust and gas; this …

Increasing space debris threatens US systems, NRO warns

Increasing space debris threatens US systems, NRO warns

Published by skeptic

A dramatic rise in the number of satellites in orbit is increasing the amount of space debris, posing a critical threat to the capabilities of America’s national space systems. During his keynote address to the Space Policy, Science, and Technology Symposium hosted by the Purdue University Policy Research Institute, Maj. Gen. Chris Povak, deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), warned of the ongoing risks of building space debris. Povak giving his keynote address to the Space Policy, Science, and Technology Symposium “The future gets more complex, not less. More satellites, more debris, more competition,” he said. “Managing these challenges simultaneously continues to be priority number one for this community, to ensure that we continue to fulfil our mission to the American people.” Some space debris is so small it can’t be tracked With space becoming increasingly congested over the past two decades, Povak explained, there are hundreds of thousands of objects in orbit – including many that are less than 10 centimetres in diameter and too small to track reliably – that could …

Our Fragile Space exhibition highlights dangers of space debris

Our Fragile Space exhibition highlights dangers of space debris

Published by skeptic

A groundbreaking photographic exhibition is set to highlight the grave and deepening issue of space debris. Our Fragile Space shines a spotlight on the critical importance of space sustainability and the protection of the night sky through a powerful blend of reportage and artistic photography. Created and led by photographer Max Alexander and supported by the Royal Astronomical Society, Our Fragile Space will be open to the public in the Burlington House courtyard in London from 19 March to 10 May 2026. Credit: Max Alexander Space debris poses significant threats to our way of life Our Fragile Space will exhibit the growing threat space debris poses to our environment and way of life. These concerns are shared by the RAS, particularly in the wake of plans by SpaceX, Reflect Orbital and China to launch a combined 1.25 million satellites into an already crowded and increasingly perilous low-Earth orbit. “Max Alexander’s brilliant exhibition is a powerful and timely reminder of the growing threat of space junk,” stated RAS President Professor Mike Lockwood. “Thought-provoking and instructive in …

AI systems scour our oceans for floating space debris

AI systems scour our oceans for floating space debris

Published by skeptic

Researchers are combining AI-based satellite-image recognition with drift prediction models to improve the collection of floating space debris in the ocean. Identifying and tracking floating space debris is critical to ocean clean-up efforts. However, effective systems for doing that remain elusive, despite the wealth of satellite images and weather data currently available. The AI for Detecting Ocean Plastic Pollution with Tracking (ADOPT) project aims to change this with two types of systems. “One is to identify garbage patches by analysing satellite images, and the other is to predict where the patches will have drifted by the time clean-up teams can reach them, usually within 24 hours,” explained Emanuele Dalsasso, an ECEO scientist. The idea is to meet a simple need: governments and NGOs can’t respond immediately when debris is detected, as they need time to organise and deploy clean-up operations. High-resolution images make it easier to track floating space debris The ADOPT team initially worked with open-access data collected by Sentinel-2 satellites, a series of optical imaging satellites launched by the European Space Agency. However, …

Debris from NATO’s missile interception falls on Turkish soil | Israel-Iran conflict

Debris from NATO’s missile interception falls on Turkish soil | Israel-Iran conflict

Published by Sam Flores

NewsFeed Debris from NATO’s interception of an Iranian ballistic missile has been pulled out of the water in Turkiye. Ankara has condemned Iran’s launch, stating that the missile was destroyed as it approached Turkish airspace after crossing Iraq and Syria. Published On 4 Mar 20264 Mar 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share plus2googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Source link