Thanks to Leonard David for covering our recent comments to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission on SpaceX's 1 million orbital data centers and Reflect Orbital's "sunlight as a service" #satellite applications.
www.leonarddavid.com/orbital-data...
#FCC #Space #SpaceEnvironment
"The Trump administration is backing off a rule aimed at stopping commercial space companies from leaving rocket bodies in Earth’s orbit, a practice that experts say could threaten public safety and telecommunications."
www.propublica.org/article/faa-...
#Space #SpaceEnvironment #SpaceDebris
CSE has submitted public comments to the U.S. FCC on two pending applications relating to the #SpaceEnvironment:
(1) Reflect Orbital's prototype satellite; www.spaceenvironmentalism.org/actions/publ...
(2) SpaceX's "1M orbital data centers" proposal; www.spaceenvironmentalism.org/actions/publ...
"Constant space launches are turning the atmosphere into a 'crematorium' for satellites and other space debris. That was the warning from a trio of astronomers and atmospheric scientists in a new essay for The Conversation."
futurism.com/space/space-...
#SpaceEnvironment #SpaceDebris #Pollution
"Access to the night sky is a crucial part of our scientific, religious, and cultural practices across the globe. Right now, one government agency has the power to completely alter the night sky as we know it."
astrobites.org/2026/02/26/r...
#Space #SpaceEnvironment #SpaceX #DataCenters
"International agreements covering rocket pollution include the Outer Space Treaty and Liability Convention... require countries to avoid harmful contamination and to accept responsibility for damage caused by their space objects."
insideclimatenews.org/news/1902202...
#SpaceEnvironment
"This finding supports growing concerns that space traffic may pollute the upper atmosphere in ways not yet fully understood."
www.nature.com/articles/s43...
#SpaceEnvironment #Atmosphere #Pollution
"@esa.int is already making use of laser technology to detect and monitor #SpaceDebris. But what if we could also use laser technology to actually prevent collisions?"
www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...
(We note how the answer always seems to be "more tech", not "less pollution".)
#SpaceEnvironment
"This study reveals that LEO satellite internet systems are more carbon-intensive (0.1–0.5 kg CO₂e/GB) than terrestrial fibre (0.05–0.20 kg CO₂e/GB) due primarily to emissions from launch processes and operations."
doi.org/10.1080/1758...
#Space #SpaceEnvironment
"For decades, space safety rules assumed satellite reentries would stay rare. By early 2026, with over 70,000 megaconstellation spacecraft planned, that assumption has collapsed."
indiandefencereview.com/starlink-sat...
#Space #Satellites #SpaceEnvironment
"A new study looks into eleven different megaconstellations and what would happen during their fiery reentry into Earth's atmosphere. They find that there's a 40% collective risk of on-ground casualties if satellites do not burn up entirely."
www.space.com/space-explor...
#Space #SpaceEnvironment
"A new study published in Nature finds that reflections from large satellite constellations could interfere with most images taken by some current and future space observatories."
www.discovermagazine.com/satellite-me...
#Space #SpaceEnvironment #Astronomy
"A race to secure regulatory approval for data centers in space is emerging, with a US startup called Starcloud submitting a proposal to the FCC for a constellation of up to 88,000 satellites." (via @pcmag.com)
www.pcmag.com/news/data-ce...
#Space #SpaceEnvironment #SpaceDebris
"Chinese scientists have developed a compact ultra-powerful energy generator, paving the way for next-generation weapons that could one day be turned on satellite swarms like SpaceX’s Starlink constellation."
www.the-independent.com/tech/china-s...
#SpaceEnvironment #SpaceWarfare #SpaceDebris
"We are only a month into 2026, yet it’s already clear what one of the major space stories of the year is going to be: mega-constellations, and the ongoing attempts to launch thousands of satellites into Earth’s orbit."
www.newscientist.com/article/2514...
#SpaceEnvironment
"We are slowly, but steadily, losing our night skies. Not content to pollute our planet’s natural environments, private corporations and governments have their sights set on choking the skies with more and more satellites."
www.saltwire.com/newfoundland...
#Space #SpaceEnvironment
"Mobile networks have now been asked to check that their emergency alert system is operational, in case the debris crashes in Britain and a message needs to be sent to people living near to the impact site."
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01...
#Space #SpaceEnvironment #SpaceDebris
“Up to $42 billion of economic losses could be caused by space debris by 2035, according to a paper published by the Centre for Space Futures in collaboration with the World Economic Forum during Monday’s conference.”
www.arabnews.com/node/2630678/
#SpaceDebris #SpaceEnvironment
Thanks to @drcarpineti.bsky.social at @iflscience.com for featuring CSE in this story about the recent Nature paper by Borlaff, Marcum and Howell.
www.iflscience.com/space-astron...
#Space #SpaceEnvironment #Satellites
"As far as we know, no coordination or deconfliction with existing satellites operating in space was performed, resulting in a 200 meter close approach between one of the deployed satellites and STARLINK-6079 (56120) at 560 km altitude."
www.space.com/space-explor...
#Space #SpaceEnvironment
[News] Calling researchers worldwide: Apply now for international joint usage/collaborative research programs at the Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University (FY2026) – deadline January 15, 2026! bit.ly/48uYaRr #academicsky #research #funding #spaceenvironment
Space Trash Threatens The Global Economy – Online Marketing Scoops onlinemarketingscoops.com/2025/11/25/s...
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#spacetrash #orbitaldebris #satellitejunk #SpacePollution #cosmiccleanup #NASA #Spaceenvironment #SustainableSpaces #astrowaste #orbitcleanup #spacewastemanagement #Ecofriendly
"According to new research, 'space waste' injects a considerable amount of its matter into the mesosphere and lower thermosphere — enough to potentially weaken the Earth’s ozone layer."
spacenews.com/uncontrolled...
#SpaceEnvironment #Space #Atmosphere
Starlink satellites "are deployed in a giant mesh around the planet. This means a solar storm and its accompanying geomagnetic storm is likely to influence at least some of the satellites, no matter when it occurs."
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#SpaceEnvironment
"The return to Earth of three Chinese astronauts has been delayed until an unspecified date after their spacecraft was apparently struck by a small piece of debris, according to Chinese state media."
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
#SpaceDebris #SpaceEnvironment
New research "underscores the urgency for a collaborative international framework to regulate space traffic and preserve the long-term viability of Earth orbits."
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
#China #UnitedStates #Satellites #STM #SDA #SpaceEnvironment
"The most unfortunate part of the Reflect Orbital proposal is how unnecessary it is. ... But sadly, the days of the 'wild, wild west' still continue when it comes to the environment surrounding our planet: low-Earth orbit."
bigthink.com/starts-with-...
#Space #SpaceEnvironment #SunlightAsAService
"With up to four satellites falling to Earth daily in 2025, ... concerns about space debris and atmospheric pollution are mounting."
dailygalaxy.com/2025/10/star...
#SpaceEnvironment #SpaceDebris #Atmosphere #Space
"It remains to be seen whether Reflect Orbital’s project will get off the ground. ... The consequences of success for astronomers – and anyone else who likes the night sky dark – would be dire."
theconversation.com/a-us-startup...
#Space #SpaceEnvironment #Satellites
"An executive order signed last month to streamline rocket launches has been celebrated by officials in the commercial space sector. But it’s also causing a wave of alarm – from scientists, environmental activists and astronomers."
www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
#SpaceEnvironment
