Can We Beam Away Our Space Junk Problem?

Can We Beam Away Our Space Junk Problem?

Humanity’s space junk is accumulating rapidly. Low Earth orbit is now exceedingly crowded with satellites, which must constantly navigate a minefield of debris from past rocket launches, discarded hardware, and previous collisions. Sometimes, sizable chunks of this detritus even crash back to the ground. Various companies have been working on ways to clean up the mess we’ve made in situ. But a new effort seeks to determine the feasibility of mov…

Scientists Want to Shoot Space Junk With Lasers — And It Could Actually Save Orbit

A European research project is exploring whether ion beams could push aside dangerous space debris — without even touching it. With millions of objects orbiting Earth and more launches on the horizon, the race is on to prevent catastrophic collisions.The concept, named ALBATOR, is still in early development, but its touchless approach could offer a safer, more versatile solution than current methods.The stakes are growing fast: according to a re…

Rising Space Debris Crashes Threaten Life and Infrastructure on Earth

In recent years, the skies above us have become a cluttered graveyard of defunct satellites, spent rocket stages, and miscellaneous orbital refuse, with pieces increasingly surviving atmospheric reentry to plummet back to Earth. What was once a rare occurrence is now edging toward routine, raising alarms among aerospace engineers and policymakers alike. According to a report from Futurism, large chunks of space debris are crashing down with unse…