#space-debris

#space-debris

In 1978, NASA researcher Donald Kessler and his colleagues published a paper titled "Collision frequency of artificial satellites: The creation of a debris belt." The paper laid down a grim warning: a single collision between satellites that would escalate into a series of followup accidents, "each of which would increase the probability of further collisions, leading to the growth of a belt of debris around the Earth." "Under certain conditions, the belt could begin to form within this century and could be a significant problem during the next century," the prescient paper warned.

Securing a conversation with Leonidas Askianakis requires foresight. His schedule is carved into 30-minute slots from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m. Meetings are online only, and every one of them revolves around space. Despite the long hours, his calendar is booked weeks ahead. When does he sleep? The 22-year-old student from the Technical University of Munich in Germany shrugs when confronted with the question during a recent interview with DW, saying that he's "on the home stretch" and just can't "set the project aside."

There are about half a million objects the size of a cigarette pack in Earth's orbit, moving at speeds averaging 28,000 km/h. This creates a severe risk.

The European Union has proposed the Space Act to create a cleaner, safer, and more competitive space sector in response to current regulatory fragmentation.

The inner solar system was violent 4 billion years ago, with a heavy bombardment lasting 500 million years, which has since calmed significantly.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has threatened legal action against SpaceX due to debris fallout from a recent rocket explosion, highlighting border safety concerns.