China's new space station opens for business in an increasingly competitive era of space activity

China has completed construction of the Tiangong space station, and science projects are now underway. The station is an important piece of China’s ambitious plans for space activity in coming years.

Scott Shackelford, Professor of Business Law and Ethics, Indiana University • conversation
Dec. 9, 2022 • ~9 min

Scientists calculate the risk of someone being killed by space junk

The southern hemisphere is more likely to be hit by space debris than the northern one.

Monica Grady, Professor of Planetary and Space Sciences, The Open University • conversation
July 25, 2022 • ~7 min

Ukraine war: how it could play out in space – with potentially dangerous consequences

From harming satellites to crashing the ISS, the Ukraine war could soon extend to space.

Mark Hilborne, Lecturer of Defence Studies, King's College London • conversation
March 10, 2022 • ~7 min

An asteroid impact could wipe out an entire city – a space security expert explains NASA's plans to prevent a potential catastrophe

NASA has only mapped 40% of the potentially dangerous asteroids that could crash into Earth. New projects will boost that number, and upcoming missions will test tech that could prevent collisions.

Svetla Ben-Itzhak, Assistant Professor of Space and International Relations, West Space Seminar, Air War College, Air University • conversation
March 1, 2022 • ~10 min

Have we made an object that could travel 1% the speed of light?

The fastest things ever made by humans are spacecraft, and the fastest spacecraft reached 330,000 mph – only 0.05% the speed of light. But there are ways to go faster.

Chris Impey, University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy, University of Arizona • conversation
Nov. 15, 2021 • ~5 min

A small telescope past Saturn could solve some mysteries of the universe better than giant telescopes near Earth

Such a mission could be developed soon, allowing astrophysicists to take selfies of the solar system and use the Sun’s gravity as a lens to peer deep into space.

Michael Zemcov, Associate Professor of Physics, Rochester Institute of Technology • conversation
Nov. 1, 2021 • ~9 min

How many satellites are orbiting Earth?

In the past decade, the number of satellites in orbit has skyrocketed thanks to tiny electronics and cheap launches. The crowded night sky is posing problems for astronomers and astronauts.

Supriya Chakrabarti, Professor of Physics, University of Massachusetts Lowell • conversation
Sept. 17, 2021 • ~6 min

SpaceX Inspiration4 mission sent 4 people with minimal training into orbit – and brought space tourism closer to reality

The Inspiration4 mission sent four civilians to space for three days. Though still funded by a billionaire, the mission is a step forward in the nascent space tourism industry.

Wendy Whitman Cobb, Professor of Strategy and Security Studies, US Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies • conversation
Sept. 10, 2021 • ~7 min

SpaceX Inspiration4 mission will send 4 people with minimal training into orbit – and bring space tourism closer to reality

The Inspiration4 mission is sending four civilians to space for three days. Though still funded by a billionaire, the mission is a step forward in the nascent space tourism industry.

Wendy Whitman Cobb, Professor of Strategy and Security Studies, US Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies • conversation
Sept. 10, 2021 • ~7 min

Space tourism: rockets emit 100 times more CO₂ per passenger than flights – imagine a whole industry

Here's what a space tourism industry led by Branson, Bezos and Musk might mean for the planet.

Eloise Marais, Associate Professor in Physical Geography, UCL • conversation
July 19, 2021 • ~5 min

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