Space & PhysicsOctober 1, 2013
Gravity’s Astronaut Describes the Trials of Space
Although the life-threatening situation Gravity depicts is fictional, the new film faithfully captures the beauty of orbit, says a former space station crew member
The Growing Threat of Space Junk
Accumulating orbital debris--often small shards of defunct satellites and past space missions, already concerns the U.S. government. Now,with movies like Gravity, public awareness is growing too
Space & PhysicsApril 1, 2012
Space Age Wasteland: Debris in Orbit Is Here to Stay
Even without future launches, low Earth orbit will remain polluted
The SciencesFebruary 1, 2012
A Minefield in Earth Orbit: How Space Debris Is Spinning Out of Control [Interactive]
Our planet's littered orbital environs urgently need a concerted cleanup effort
Space & PhysicsJanuary 14, 2012
Where Did All That Space Debris Come From?
Space & PhysicsJanuary 1, 2012
Why Did So Much High-Profile Junk Fall from Space Last Year?
Orbital debris hits Earth daily, but NASA says not to worry
The SciencesSeptember 21, 2011
Your Friday Forecast: Sunny, with a 1-in-21-Trillion Chance of Getting Hit by Orbital Debris
Space & PhysicsAugust 31, 2011
U.S. Taking Initial Steps to Grapple with Space Debris Problem
A multibillion-dollar radar system should vastly increase the amount of orbital debris under surveillance, but actually removing any debris will be a monumental challenge
Space & PhysicsJuly 4, 2011
Space Station Gets Close Wake-up Call
Orbital debris within 250 meters of the International Space station is a warning to clean up the neighborhood before a tragic impact. John Matson reports
Space & PhysicsSeptember 22, 2009
Wasted Space: U.S. Military Looking for Ideas on How to Curb the Threat of Orbiting Junk
DARPA is soliciting pitches on how best to remove orbital debris
Space & PhysicsAugust 3, 2009
Tool kit dropped from space station is orbital junk no more
Space & PhysicsFebruary 19, 2009
Messy space: Will orbiting trash threaten the Hubble repair mission?
Space & PhysicsFebruary 11, 2009
Space crash: Commercial and Russian satellites collide in orbit