LeoLabs has built a transportable radar system called Scout-S, a shipping-container-sized unit that can be set up almost anywhere in a matter of hours using just a generator and a Starlink connection. The system is designed to monitor the rapidly growing number of satellites and debris fragments in low Earth orbit, which has swelled from roughly 2,000 objects in 2019 to nearly 17,000 today, with Starlink accounting for most of that growth.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-18
Astroscale executive Ron Lopez discussed the company's upcoming ISSA-J1 mission for JAXA, which will require rendezvousing with two decommissioned Japanese satellites rather than a rocket body. Unlike the ADRAS-J2 mission targeting a stable rocket stage, ISSA-J1 must approach satellites with protruding solar arrays that are likely tumbling, demanding more advanced rendezvous and proximity operations technology.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-11
Odin Space is selling adhesive vibration sensor strips that satellites can use to detect and measure debris impacts, addressing the mystery behind many small-satellite failures. Meanwhile, Atlanta-area company Atomic-6 is working on lighter alternative shielding to replace or improve upon traditional aluminum panels and Whipple shields used to protect spacecraft from high-speed debris strikes.
techspot.com
· 2026-09-10
Scientists in China have developed a new aluminum-based material modeled on the microstructure of eggshells, aiming to better protect spacecraft from high-speed debris impacts. The work, published in the Journal of Applied Physics, builds on decades of research into how an egg's curved geometry gives it surprising rigidity despite its thinness and fragility.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-08
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