Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
| Subscribe to Newser's RSS feeds RSS | Follow Newser on Twitter Twitter

NEWS ABOUT: space debris

space debris stories: 11 news summaries

 Mystery East Coast Fireball 
 Was a Russian Rocket 

Naval Observatory 99% sure explosion was remains of Soyuz booster

Mar 31, 09 2:47 AM CDT
(Newser) - The fireball that lit up parts of the East Coast Sunday night was almost certainly the exploding remains of a Russian rocket, a US Naval Observatory official tells Space.com. The second stage of the Soyuz rocket was slated to enter the atmosphere at the time and place the fireball... More »

MORE ABOUT:
astronomy • rocket • space debris • East Coast • Soyuz • space junk

UPDATED

 NASA: Debris Will 
 Miss Space Station 


Mar 16, 09 8:25 PM CDT
(AP) - NASA gave the all-clear to the international space station tonight, telling its astronauts they would not need to steer away from an orbiting piece of satellite junk. Experts had been keeping close tabs on the debris all day, at one point believing it might pass within a half-mile of the... More »

MORE ABOUT:
NASA • astronauts • International Space Station • space debris

(AP) - NASA kept close tabs today on an old piece of space junk that threatened to come too close to the international space station as the shuttle Discovery raced toward the outpost for a 220-mile-high linkup. Experts initially warned that the debris from a Soviet satellite that broke up in 1981... More »

MORE ABOUT:
NASA • International Space Station • space debris • Discovery space shuttle • Discovery

(Newser) - Fearing a strike by orbiting space junk, the three astronauts on the International Space Station evacuated to an attached capsule this morning, the Houston Chronicle reports. Though the chance of impact was slight, the debris—a 4-inch piece of an old rocket—could have caused major damage to the station.... More »

MORE ABOUT:
astronauts • evacuation • International Space Station • space debris • Soyuz • outer space • Earth orbit

(Newser) - In the wake of two satellites colliding this week—and debris apparently falling on several states—Wired runs down a list of objects we've lost in outer space:
  • A spatula: Used to apply heat-shield repair goo, the implement's loss was a blow to one astronaut. "That was my
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
trash • International Space Station • space travel • spacewalk • orbit • space debris • detritus • tool bag

 Space Junk 
 to Hit Earth 
 Tomorrow 

Ammonia tank chucked from ISS expected to break up in atmosphere

Nov 1, 08 3:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - NASA is tracking a fridge-sized chunk of space trash expected to plunge to Earth tomorrow night, Space.com reports. The ammonia tank was thrown overboard from the International Space Station over a year ago and has been slowly descending since. NASA says it's highly unlikely that anybody will impacted by... More »

MORE ABOUT:
NASA • astronauts • International Space Station • spacewalk • space debris • outer space

 Asteroids Could Reseed
 a Devastated Earth 

Rock-dwelling microorganisms would make it back from space

May 18, 08 3:13 PM CDT
(Newser) - If a comet ever obliterates life on Earth, don't worry—space rocks could later fall in and reseed a few basic life forms. A new study shows that organisms can survive being hit by a meteor, ejected into space, and hurtled back to Earth on the face of a rock—... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Mars • space • Earth • microorganisms • life • asteroid • meteorites • space debris

NASA to Smash Moon in Hunt
for Lunar Ice

Spacecraft will study dust after partner
vessel crashes

Feb 27, 08 8:08 PM CST
(Newser) - No, they're not angry at the moon—but NASA is preparing two spacecraft for head-on collisions with the lunar South Pole. The idea is that the double impact might uncover ice suspected to be hiding in the moon's poles, Space.com reports. Scientists detected large amounts of hydrogen there on... More »

MORE ABOUT:
NASA • Ames Research Center • moon • lunar exploration • space debris • Lunar Crater and Observation Sensing Satellite • Lunar Reconaissance Orbiter • space mission

Navy Prepares to Fire on Satellite Tonight

After Atlantis is back, warship will take aim
at rogue orbiter

Feb 20, 08 4:00 AM CST
(Newser) - The US Navy has warned planes and ships away from a large area of the Pacific ahead of an attempt to shoot down a rogue spy satellite carrying toxic fuel tonight, CNN reports. The space shuttle Atlantis is due back on Earth today and military officials are waiting for its... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Navy • space shuttle • satellite • Atlantis Space Shuttle • orbit • space debris • spy satellite

Satellite
Shootdown
May Cost $60M

Navy likely to take aim
next week, after shuttle Atlantis returns

Feb 16, 08 11:51 AM CST
(Newser) - The Navy's attempt to shoot down a malfunctioning spy satellite will cost up to $60 million, CNN reports. Three Navy ships are preparing for the mission, which could take place next week, but only after the space shuttle Atlantis returns. The Navy hopes to destroy the satellite, which has half... More »

MORE ABOUT:
space • space shuttle • missile defense system • satellite • US Navy • Atlantis Space Shuttle • space debris • spy satellite

Falling Spy Satellite May Hit North America

Military won't know exact landing spots until 30 minutes to impact

Jan 30, 08 11:38 AM CST
(Newser) - A defunct and out-of-control spy satellite is falling to Earth, and could scatter debris somewhere in North America in late February or early March, the AP reports. The Air Force says the satellite called US 193, whose central computer failed shortly after its launch in 2006, is big enough that... More »

MORE ABOUT:
US military • satellite • North America • space debris • Gene Renuart • US 193

11 Stories


from our news partners