Space Debris & Traffic Management News

Space.com • Mike Wall

Shenzhou‑21 crew conducts eight‑hour EVA to inspect debris‑damaged Shenzhou‑20; vehicle judged unfit for reentry

China's Shenzhou‑21 crew carried out an eight‑hour spacewalk to inspect debris damage to the previously launched Shenzhou‑20 spacecraft, photographing a struck viewport that led authorities to declare the vehicle unfit for reentry. Taikonauts Zhang Lu and Wu Fei performed the EVA while Zhang Hongzhang supported from inside Tianhe.

2025-12-09T11:05:35.834228-08:00

SpaceNews.com

China conducts four orbital launches in 96 hours, accelerating LEO megaconstellation and reconnaissance build‑out

2025-12-09T03:09:16.359761-08:00

Spaceflight Now

International Space Station enters final five planned years as partners prepare 2030 deorbit; new commander named

2025-12-05T07:00:52.037076-08:00

Reuters

Damaged Shenzhou-20 spacecraft to return to Earth uncrewed for inspection

2025-12-01T06:39:36.239458-08:00

Space Debris & Traffic Management News Timeline

Space.com

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Shenzhou‑21 crew conducts eight‑hour EVA to inspect debris‑damaged Shenzhou‑20; vehicle judged unfit for reentry China's Shenzhou‑21 crew carried out an eight‑hour spacewalk to inspect debris damage to the previously launched Shenzhou‑20 spacecraft, photographing a struck viewport that led authorities to declare the vehicle unfit for reentry. Taikonauts Zhang Lu and Wu Fei performed the EVA while Zhang Hongzhang supported from inside Tianhe.

2025-12-09T11:05:35.834228-08:00

Shenzhou‑21 crew conducts eight‑hour EVA to inspect debris‑damaged Shenzhou‑20; vehicle judged unfit for reentry

SpaceNews.com

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China conducts four orbital launches in 96 hours, accelerating LEO megaconstellation and reconnaissance build‑out China executed four orbital launches in 96 hours, using Long March variants — including a new Long March‑8A and a Long March‑4B that placed Yaogan‑47 — while a Long March‑6A deployed internet satellites. The surge accelerates Beijing’s Guowang LEO megaconstellation build‑out and boosts space reconnaissance capacity.

2025-12-09T03:09:16.359761-08:00

China conducts four orbital launches in 96 hours, accelerating LEO megaconstellation and reconnaissance build‑out

Payload

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LeoLabs wins cross‑government licensing contract as OSC evaluates TraCSS integration LeoLabs has secured a cross‑government licensing contract that will see the Office of Space Commerce evaluate integrating LeoLabs' orbital tracking data into its TraCSS system. The move aims to extend LeoLabs’ alerting capabilities beyond government users and into the commercial sector.

2025-12-08T23:21:31.154383-08:00

LeoLabs wins cross‑government licensing contract as OSC evaluates TraCSS integration

Space.com

NASA completes assembly of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, now moving into integration and 2026 launch preparations NASA has completed assembly of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and will begin summer launch preparations as the observatory moves into integration and test. Now ahead of schedule and targeting a 2026 launch, the next‑generation telescope will survey exoplanets, supernovas, black holes and cosmological structure.

2025-12-05T14:07:45.836804-08:00

NASA completes assembly of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, now moving into integration and 2026 launch preparations

Spaceflight Now

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International Space Station enters final five planned years as partners prepare 2030 deorbit; new commander named Marking 25 years of continuous human presence, the International Space Station is entering its final five years of planned operations as NASA and international partners prepare an intentional deorbit around 2030. The station is also set for a change of command with a new commander taking the helm.

2025-12-05T07:00:52.037076-08:00

International Space Station enters final five planned years as partners prepare 2030 deorbit; new commander named

SpaceNews.com

The Overlooked Space Race: On‑Orbit Servicing and Extending Satellite Life On-orbit servicing — refuelling, repair, inspection and life-extension — is emerging as a strategic battleground as operators seek to preserve satellite value, cut replacement costs and mitigate orbital congestion. The capability could reshape satellite economics and operational risk in increasingly crowded LEO regimes.

2025-12-04T04:07:42.922747-08:00

The Overlooked Space Race: On‑Orbit Servicing and Extending Satellite Life

Australian Aviation

CASA and Australian Space Agency formalise cooperation to align spaceflight and air navigation rules Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the Australian Space Agency have signed an agreement to formalise cooperation, information‑sharing and regulatory alignment between spaceflight operations and air navigation rules. Officials say the framework aims to clarify procedures, improve deconfliction and boost industry confidence as Australia's commercial launch and satellite activity grows.

2025-12-03T20:47:26.715772-08:00

CASA and Australian Space Agency formalise cooperation to align spaceflight and air navigation rules

Ars Technica

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NASA: Half‑Million Planned LEO Satellites Could Contaminate Nearly All Space Telescope Images A NASA study and simulations show the exponential growth of low‑Earth orbit constellations — potentially ~500,000 satellites by the 2030s — will sharply increase optical "light pollution," contaminating and severely degrading images from Hubble and other space‑based observatories.

2025-12-03T08:42:40.926999-08:00

NASA: Half‑Million Planned LEO Satellites Could Contaminate Nearly All Space Telescope Images

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