Notices by Space Environmentalism (space_environmentalism@mastodon.social)

We just filed a formal Reply Comment with the FCC opposing Cowboy Space’s massive 20,000-satellite data center constellation. Instead of addressing the scientific and technical concerns we presented, Cowboy Space relied almost entirely on procedural deflections.

We won't let orbital greenwashing go unchallenged.

Read our full Reply Comment: https://www.spaceenvironmentalism.org/actions/public-statements-and-comments/cowboy-space-reply-comment

#SpaceSustainability #Astronomy #SpaceDebris #Environment #FCC #Tech

#Amazon is asking the #FCC to approve 5,105 massive new #satellites while hiding their orbital debris risk models behind a wall of corporate secrecy. The public deserves full transparency, because a safe and sustainable space environment belongs to all of us — not just to the highest bidder.

https://spacenews.com/amazon-files-application-for-direct-to-device-satellite-constellation/

#Space #SpaceDebris #SpacePolicy

"The U.S. Federal Communications Commission can single-handedly green-light massive spaceflight projects that could completely change the view of the night sky for the entire world. Despite the outcry these projects have caused, space law experts say there is very little other nations and the international community can do to thwart them if the FCC were to grant them licenses."

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/private-companies-could-ruin-the-night-sky-for-the-entire-world-and-international-law-cant-stop-them

#Space #SpacePolicy #SpaceLaw #Satellites

"'This refuge is one of the last places left for the public to enjoy nature in the Rio Grande Valley,' Jordahl added. 'Why should Texans be forced to surrender even more of their public lands to a trillion-dollar corporation? The court has to intervene now, because once these refuge lands are transferred to SpaceX, they’re gone forever.'"

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/the-court-has-to-intervene-now-indigenous-groups-and-conservationists-condemn-spacexs-south-texas-land-swap

#Space #Environment

"Once again, the "Land Down Under" is on the apparent uptick for falling space debris. In early July, the Australian Space Agency reported that objects recovered, dubbed 'space balls,' are likely pressure vessels from a space launch vehicle. This latest incident is part of an unwanted legacy of being the "fall guy" for space remains"

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/metal-spheres-found-in-australia-show-how-little-we-still-know-about-falling-space-debris-experts-say

#Space #SpaceDebris #Environment

“In 2024, 24 elements were dominating the meteoric injection compared to 18 in 2015, this might increase to 30 in the future. Several of them are transition metals, which are known for their catalytic activity. This indicates a substantial risk of long-term adverse effects on the atmosphere such as ozone depletion, radiative effects and changes in cloud formation, if no action is taken.”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273117726003509

#Space #SpaceEnvironment #Atmosphere #Climate #Satellites

"The surge in orbital activity has created a significant collision risk. ... The big fear is that future collisions will cause a domino effect where Earth’s orbit becomes cluttered with tiny, high-speed bits of metal. That could create a near-impenetrable layer of debris that would make space launches so dangerous it would essentially trap humans on Earth."

https://www.theguardian.com/science/ng-interactive/2026/mar/31/this-feels-fragile-how-a-satellite-smashing-chain-reaction-could-spiral-out-of-control

#Space #SpaceEnvironment #SpaceDebris

"For two decades, spacefaring nations have operated under a simple rule: any satellite sent into orbit must have a less than one in 10,000 chance of injuring someone on the ground. The rule was written when a few dozen objects reentered the atmosphere each year. By early 2026, with more than 9,000 #Starlink satellites in orbit and filings for constellations totaling over 70,000 spacecraft, that arithmetic no longer holds."

https://indiandefencereview.com/starlink-satellites-falling-nonstop-to-earth-risk/

#Space #Satellites #SpaceEnvironment

"A #Starlink #satellite has suffered a malfunction that caused it to eject a small amount of debris into Earth’s orbit, according to #SpaceX. ... The statement raises questions about whether the satellite experienced a minor explosion or was struck by something. It also suggests the satellite can no longer maneuver with its built-in propulsion, even if contact is re-established."

https://www.pcmag.com/news/starlink-satellite-malfunctions-ejects-debris-fragments

#Space #SpaceDebris #SpaceEnvironment

"For astronomers, the sky isn’t exactly falling—yet the sky-high ambitions of tech companies seeking profits in Earth orbit and beyond are becoming too disruptive to ignore. The latest start-up with brash out-of-this-world plans is Reflect Orbital, which has built a business case for beaming sunlight from orbit to power solar farms after dark. Maybe that could work. But experts have technological, environmental and safety concerns."

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/alarm-grows-over-proposed-giant-mirrors-in-orbit-and-other-commercial-space/

#SpaceEnvironment #Space

"The Dark and Quiet Skies Campaign serves us well to remember that the governance of outer space is not simply about money and geopolitics. The values of science and culture also have a place. As you follow the track of a satellite across the night sky this week, consider what kind of sky and scientific legacy we want to leave for future generations."

https://legal-planet.org/2025/10/13/what-is-space-law/

#Space #SpaceEnvironment #SpaceLaw

CSE's @planet4589 recently spoke to EarthSky about the sharp increase in satellite re-entries and the implications this has for everything from the appearance of the night sky to effects on the Earth's #atmosphere.

"Bottom line: There are now one to two Starlink satellites falling back to Earth each day, burning up in the atmosphere with consequences not fully understood."

https://earthsky.org/human-world/1-to-2-starlink-satellites-falling-back-to-earth-each-day/

#Space #Satellites #SpaceEnvironment

"[University of Southampton professor Hugh] Lewis doesn’t fault operators like #SpaceX, which he says goes above and beyond by choosing orbits where #spacecraft are quickly pulled back into the atmosphere, maneuvering to avoid collisions with other #satellites, and deconflicting with astronomers. The fundamental issue, Lewis says, is that each new object in orbit increases risk.”

https://payloadspace.com/there-are-too-many-spacecraft-in-leo/

#SpaceEnvironment #SpaceDebris #Space

"''The message that I keep trying to deliver to anybody who will listen is: We need to have fewer satellites with longer operational lifetimes. Anything that you can do to make your satellites last longer and to use fewer of them—that is the engineering challenge that we are now facing, and I don’t see anyone really taking that up.'"

Featuring quotes from our members @sundogplanets and @planet4589.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/with-space-junk-on-the-rise-is-a-catastrophic-event-inevitable-180986907/

#Space #SpaceDebris #Satellites #SpaceEnvironment

"As #space junk increases, more operators are choosing to launch without any #insurance at all. To compensate, companies are cutting back on the cost of satellites and launching more of them at faster rates, thus creating a feedback loop as the cheaper satellites break up more easily and add to the problem. Behind the predicament are two vectors moving in opposite directions: The cost of launching satellites is falling, while the cost of insuring them continues to soar.”

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/satellites-keep-breaking-up-in-space-insurance-wont-cover-them

"Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has threatened legal action over falling debris and contamination from billionaire Elon Musk’s #SpaceX #rocket launches across the border in the #UnitedStates. Mexico’s government was studying which international laws were being violated in order to file 'the necessary lawsuits' because 'there is indeed contamination', Sheinbaum told her morning news conference on Wednesday.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/25/mexico-president-lawsuit-spacex-debris-rocket-explosions

#Space #SpaceEnvironment

"The international #space industry is on a growth trajectory, but new research shows a rapid increase in rocket launches would damage the #ozone layer. Several hundred rockets are launched globally each year by a mix of commercial companies and nation-state space programmes. Our findings show that once rates reach 2,000 launches a year the current healing of the ozone layer slows down. We argue that with care, we can avoid this future.”

https://theconversation.com/a-10-fold-increase-in-rocket-launches-would-start-harming-the-ozone-layer-new-research-257480

#SpaceEnvironment

"With the rapid expansion of commercial space flight, thousands of satellites are being launched each year. Yet few owners have plans to remove them from orbit in a controlled way. Everyone, everywhere — on Earth’s surface, flying in aeroplanes, as well as in space — is increasingly at risk from these projectiles. Space-faring nations and companies must urgently address this threat."

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00797-7

#SpaceEnvironment #SpaceEnvironmentalism #SpaceDebris #Space #SpacePolicy