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  "The public must write to their senators and representatives calling for a congressional mandate for regulation of commercial #space activity. We must vote for candidates who support protections for astronomy and #DarkSkies and rigorously scrutinize claims of safety and public benefit by companies seeking to launch #satellite constellations with devastating potential impacts." https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/satellites-night-sky-stars-22397123.php #Sp...

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  "The European Union told the UN Conference on Disarmament in Geneva that it wants new norms of 'responsible behaviour' in outer #space alongside future legally binding agreements to help prevent an arms race in space. Outer space is a 'global commons' that should be used for the benefit of all humankind, and keeping it peaceful is needed to protect access, safety and the long-term use of the space environment, the EU Delegation to the UN in Geneva said on...

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  "The issue is not that #space infrastructure has already caused demonstrated biodiversity loss but that plausible vertical pressure pathways are emerging faster than #biodiversity monitoring and responsibility systems" https://www.cell.com/nexus/fulltext/S2950-1601(26)00042-2 #Environment

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  "Each of the sun-reflecting mirrors proposed by U.S.-based startup Reflect Orbital will appear 40 times brighter than the full moon to observers standing within its beam on Earth, a study has found. The light pollution produced by each of those mirrors would completely wipe out stars from the sky for those underneath them, turning the starry night into an eerie twilight zone." https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/massive-space-mirrors-could-be-40-times-brighter-t...

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  "Nearly 70 years after the Soviet Union launched the first satellite, there is more man-made material in space than ever before. The increasing quantity of satellites and debris in low-Earth orbit—roughly 100 to 1,200 miles above the planet—is raising concerns of collisions that could damage or destroy spacecraft and satellites. One worst-case fear is that debris could set off a chain reaction of crashes, leaving parts of low-Earth orbit unusable." https://www.wsj.com/science/...

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  "The next astronauts to walk near the Moon’s south pole will bring drills, rovers, spacesuits—and an unavoidable piece of Earth. Bacteria [and] fungi settle into spacecraft and ventilation systems. Some of those organisms will almost certainly escape through airlocks, cling to equipment or shed from spacesuits onto the lunar surface. Scientists have assumed the Moon would quickly destroy most microbial stowaways. But a new NASA-led study is here to say: 'Not so fast…'&am...

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  "When the United States and the Soviet Union signed the Outer Space Treaty in 1967, both nations agreed not to place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit around Earth. Specifically, Article IV of the treaty was designed to keep the Cold War's nuclear arms race from extending into space — a goal both superpowers shared. The problem, then and now, is that neither side has ever had a reliable way to confirm that the other is keeping its word." htt...

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  "Space is now a contested military domain as nations develop capabilities to disrupt satellites. The United States, Russia, and China are enhancing their space-based military infrastructure. Modern warfare increasingly relies on interconnected sensors and autonomous weapons systems. Destructive anti-satellite tests create debris, posing risks to all spacecraft. The conflict in Ukraine demonstrated cyberattacks and electronic warfare's impact on space assets." https://e...

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  "The Federal Communications Commission is poised to cement its longstanding practice of excluding constellations from environmental reviews, amid an unprecedented wave of proposals covering more than a million orbital data centers." https://spacenews.com/fcc-to-draw-line-under-constellation-environmental-review-exemption/ #SpaceEnvironment #Environment #FCC #UnitedStates #SpacePolicy

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  What happens to human vision when space mirror constellations illuminate the night sky? A new paper by CSE's own @salvabara breaks down the optical safety risks of orbital reflectors. Read the full preprint on Zenodo: https://zenodo.org/records/22680934 #SpaceSustainability #SpaceMirrors #LightPollution #Optics #EyeSafety #SunlightAsAService #ReflectOrbital

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  "As of today, any verified satellite operator anywhere in the world can look up an emergency contact for any other verified operator in a single, neutral, institutionally backed platform — for the first time in the history of spaceflight. The gap that platform fills is not technical. It is logistical. And in a low Earth orbit environment where the CRASH Clock research project page now reads 2.2 days, logistics are everything." https://www.techtimes.com/articles/327287/20260910...

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  Behind closed doors and non-disclosure agreements, Louisiana announced a massive spaceport promising thousands of annual rocket launches in coastal Vermillion Parish. Pushing unproven orbital infrastructure into fragile wetlands threatens local fisheries and ecosystems without public input. Our new editorial breaks down the high-stakes economic risks, environmental degradation, and policy rollbacks surrounding the project. Read the full analysis: https://www.spaceenvironmentalism.org/actions/p...

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  "U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink on Monday revealed that the United States has deployed space-control weapons in orbit, while also disclosing new milestones for military satellite programs tied to missile defense and long-range targeting." https://spacenews.com/u-s-has-deployed-space-control-weapons-in-orbit-air-force-secretary-says/ #SpaceEnvironment #Space

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  The CSE has submitted formal comments and procedural motions to the FCC regarding Amazon Leo's application for a 5,105-satellite constellation. We are formally challenging Amazon's request to keep its orbital safety data confidential. Commercial space operators must not be permitted to shield vital safety inputs from public scrutiny behind FOIA trade-secret exemptions. Read more: spaceenvironmentalism.org/actions/public-statements-and-comments/amazon-leo-d2d-fcc-comment #Space...

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  The confirmation of offensive space-control weapons in Earth orbit is a dangerous escalation for our shared space environment. Military engagements in LEO risk triggering runaway collision cascades that threaten critical climate and telecom satellites. Being a 'first mover' does not redefine international law or turn space into an exclusive military zone. Read the full CSE position statement: https://www.spaceenvironmentalism.org/actions/positions/space-militarization-statement...

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  CSE has submitted a formal response to the U.S. FCC regarding SpaceX's "Starmind" 1-million-satellite application. Our filing shows that reentering 200,000 four-tonne satellites annually will inject 800,000 metric tons of vaporized spacecraft mass into the upper atmosphere, threatening ozone recovery. We also highlight flawed reentry demise models, unverified laser mesh claims, and heightened orbital debris risks. Read the full response: https://www.spaceenvironmentalism.org/acti...

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  Thanks to Michael Kan at @PCMag@mastodon.social for reaching out for comment on this story about SpaceX's latest maneuvers on its orbital data center proposal to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. https://www.pcmag.com/news/will-spacexs-orbiting-data-centers-rain-debris-over-earth #Space #SpaceEnvironment #DataCenters #SpaceDebris

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  CSE filed a comment opposing the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's proposed waiver of 13 environmental laws for U.S. launch sites. Government Accountability Office data shows 86 percent of launch licenses already use streamlined reviews. Bypassing environmental review and statutory safeguards risks ocean pollution, atmospheric damage, and harm to astronomy without legal authority. Read more: https://www.spaceenvironmentalism.org/actions/public-statements-and-comments/FAA-NPRM-Launch-Si...

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  "Four environmental organizations filed a petition Thursday asking the Federal Communications Commission to reverse approval of a startup’s plan to beam on-demand sunlight from #space to Earth, arguing the agency ignored the project’s potential impacts on wildlife, astronomy research and eye safety." https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/environmental-groups-challenge-fcc-approval-startups-plan-beam-demand-rcna591041 #Satellites #SpacePolicy #ReflectOrbital #SunlightAsAService #FCC

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  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...

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  "Putting data centers in #space would solve the biggest problems facing AI companies in the US today. But scientists have already raised alarms about the dangers of overcrowding in our current satellite ecosystem: ozone depletion from an unsustainably high number of maneuvers and even debris from satellites falling back to Earth. What happens if we go from our current count of 15,000 #satellites to 1 million?" https://www.cnet.com/science/space/space-x-one-million-ai-satellite...

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  "The upper stage from a commercial Chinese rocket that launched last week has broken apart in space, spreading debris in a heavily trafficked part of low-Earth orbit home to the International #Space Station and a significant portion of SpaceX’s #Starlink broadband network. The breakup occurred shortly after the rocket reached orbit with 2 satellites providing direct-to-cell communications, perhaps around the time the upper stage was expected to perform a disposal burn." https:...

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  "NASA's plan to deorbit the International Space Station in coming years has fallen under the scrutiny of a government watchdog group and stirred up a wave of reaction by a leading ocean conservation organization. The Ocean Foundation says the planned deorbit of the International Space Station 'raises serious concerns for ocean health that the space community has not adequately grappled with.'" https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-...

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  Moving #AI #DataCenters to #space is high-altitude #greenwashing. We just filed comments urging the #FCC to reject Cowboy Space’s 20,000-satellite "Stampede" constellation. From stratospheric metallic pollution to escalating collision risks and threats to astronomy, the hazards of orbital computing are severe. The FCC must require a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Read our full comment: https://www.spaceenvironmentalism.org/actions/public-statements-and-comments/cow...

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  "SaxaVord Spaceport on the island of Unst is applying for a licence to start dropping large, disused rocket components into the sea north of Shetland over the next 12 months. The application reveals that there is a 'significant risk' that the debris could hit tourist and fishing boats, posing a threat to life. The Shetland tourism industry however, flatly rejects the spaceport’s plans, and warns that sea dumping could be 'devastating' for some island busi...

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  "If all satellites in orbit suddenly lost the ability to manoeuvre and control their orientation, how long would it take for two to come close enough to crash? In 2018, before megaconstellations began launching, the CRASH Clock value was 164 days. It has been steadily dropping since then. Our new research finds that as of May 2026, it is at 2.5 days." https://theconversation.com/a-new-crash-clock-measures-the-chance-of-satellite-collisions-and-its-ticking-down-fast-283481 #Sp...

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  The Center strongly condemns the Federal Communications Commission's recent approval of Reflect Orbital Inc.’s application for the EARENDIL-1 prototype satellite. We argue that this decision bypasses federal environmental law, prioritizes private commercial space dominance over scientific integrity, and creates a massive regulatory loophole that leaves our shared night sky unprotected from commercial exploitation. Read our full statement here: https://www.spaceenvironmentalism.org/actio...

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  "WIRED wrote about Reflect Orbital's giant mirror in September 2024, when the project was still in its early stages: 'The ambitious goal of the Santa Monica, California–based startup is to ensure a continuous supply of light for large solar panel installations.' Two years later, the Trump administration has given the green light to this provider of 'on-demand' sunlight." https://www.wired.com/story/reflect-orbital-earendil-mirror-satelli...

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  "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-...

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  #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