Starlink Reentries Have Injected 5+ Metric Tonnes of Aluminum Oxide Into Stratosphere in 2026
Satellite reentry aluminum oxide is accumulating in Earth's stratosphere. Peer-reviewed data shows a 646% increase at full megaconstellation scale.
Space & LEO
Orbital debris tracking, satellite collisions, Kessler syndrome, active debris removal, and space sustainability.
Space & LEO
Latest
Lidar Catches a Falcon 9 in the Act: Ground-Based Lasers Become a New Tool for Reentry Chemistry
For decades, researchers at Germany's Leibniz Institute for Atmospheric Physics aimed high-powered lasers at the sky above the Baltic coast to study the natural metal layers left by meteors ablating in the mesosphere. Now those same instruments are doing something…
FCC Rejects SpaceX and Iridium Bids to Rewrite “Big LEO” Spectrum Rules as Direct-to-Cell Race Heats Up
The FCC rejected spectrum petitions from SpaceX, Iridium, and three other satellite firms in the Big LEO bands, a decision…
UK Satellite Collision Alerts Hit 1,847 in March as Tracked LEO Population Tops 33,000
UK Space Agency logged 1,847 collision alerts for British satellites in March as the tracked LEO population climbed to 33,385…
Kreios Space’s Plasma-Breathing Satellite Could Slash LEO Debris by Self-Deorbiting
Kreios Space's Plasma-Breathing Satellite Could Slash LEO Debris by Self-Deorbiting A Spanish startup says it has cracked one of orbital…
Earlier Coverage
Starlink Satellite Fragments Into Debris Cloud at 560 km, Hundreds of Pieces Now Tracked
Starlink satellite 34343 fragmented at 560 km on March 29, generating tens of trackable debris pieces that could persist in…
ESA Space Environment Report: LEO Debris Density Nearing Critical Threshold as Collision Risk Jumps 20%
ESA Space Environment Report: LEO Debris Density Nearing Critical Threshold as Collision Risk Jumps 20% The numbers in ESA's 2026…
ESA’s Draco Mission Advances Reentry Safety Science — Terma Joins as Star Tracker Supplier
ESA's Draco Mission Advances Reentry Safety Science — Terma Joins as Star Tracker Supplier The European Space Agency is building…
Starlink Faces Nine Conjunction Threats in Four Days, Including One HIGH-Risk Event — LEO Congestion Intensifies
Starlink Faces Nine Conjunction Threats in Four Days, Including One HIGH-Risk Event — LEO Congestion Intensifies WASHINGTON — March 26,…
Starlink-1955 Predicted to Reenter Atmosphere Today as Mega-Constellation Tops 10,000 Satellites
Starlink-1955 Predicted to Reenter Atmosphere Today as Mega-Constellation Tops 10,000 Satellites LOS ANGELES — A routine Starlink satellite reentry is…
First Commercial Debris Removal Mission Targets Defunct Satellite — Astroscale ELSA-M Set to Launch
First Commercial Debris Removal Mission Targets Defunct Satellite — Astroscale ELSA-M Set to Launch A Japanese space sustainability company has…
NASA’s Van Allen Probe A Falls to Earth a Decade Early After Solar Activity Accelerates Decay
NASA's Van Allen Probe A Falls to Earth a Decade Early After Solar Activity Accelerates Decay PASADENA, Calif. — March…
New Research: Mega-Constellation Reentries Releasing Thousands of Tonnes of Alumina Into Stratosphere, Threatening Ozone Layer
New Research: Mega-Constellation Reentries Releasing Thousands of Tonnes of Alumina Into Stratosphere, Threatening Ozone Layer WASHINGTON — March 2026 —…
FAA Kills Proposed Rule Requiring Rocket Upper Stages to Deorbit Within 25 Years, Citing Industry Pressure
FAA Kills Proposed Rule Requiring Rocket Upper Stages to Deorbit Within 25 Years, Citing Industry Pressure By FODNews Staff |…
Meteorite Strikes German Home as ESA Fireball Lights Up Five European Countries
Meteorite Strikes German Home as ESA Fireball Lights Up Five European Countries KOBLENZ, Germany — March 9, 2026 A meteorite…