Latest News About Space Junk and Orbital Debris

Hundreds of satellites may soon be flying in orbital regions that are already too packed to allow safe and long-term operations, a new study suggests.

As Beijing prepares to tackle space debris, transparency and trust will determine whether the effort is viewed as stewardship or a strategic threat.

Two Chinese astronauts installed more debris shielding on the Tiangong space station during a six-hour spacewalk on Friday (Sept. 26). It was the fourth EVA of the Shenzhou 20 mission.

With a modest amount of thrust and power, a new ion engine system could get rid of 1-ton pieces of space junk in less than 100 days. Here's how it works.

The laser system provides real-time positional data on the huge cloud of space debris above our heads in low Earth orbit.

Two Chinese astronauts spent more than six hours outside the Tiangong space station on Friday (Aug. 15), installing a debris shield on the third spacewalk of the Shenzhou 20 mission.

The Japanese space-sustainability company Astroscale has unveiled a patent for what it describes as a new method for space debris removal.

Cheap, uninsured satellites are creating more space junk — and it's starting to rain down on our heads.

"Being off even a little bit represents hundreds or thousands of kilometers in distance on the surface of the Earth."

A new Chinese refueling spacecraft met up with an older satellite in high Earth orbit this month, apparently marking a step forward in orbital servicing.