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Universe Today • Andy Tomaswick

Asteroid 2024 YR4: ~4% chance of striking the Moon in 2032 — risk to satellites and a rare science opportunity

A preprint by Yifan He (Tsinghua) finds ~60‑meter asteroid 2024 YR4 has about a 4% chance of striking the Moon in 2032. Though odds are small, researchers warn of hazards to lunar‑orbit and Earth satellites and highlight a rare chance to study impact mechanics, seismology and lunar composition.

2026-01-27T03:22:47.232524-08:00

SpaceWatch Global

U.S. launch infrastructure under strain as orbital cadence spikes

2026-01-26T03:18:12.352003-08:00

Space.com

Shenzhou-20 lands after unplanned 270‑day mission following suspected debris strike; crew honoured

2026-01-21T08:22:45.362551-08:00

Associated Press

Sonic booms from reentering spacecraft can be located by seismic networks to map debris fall

2026-01-22T08:13:48.058824-08:00

News Timeline

Universe Today

Asteroid 2024 YR4: ~4% chance of striking the Moon in 2032 — risk to satellites and a rare science opportunity A preprint by Yifan He (Tsinghua) finds ~60‑meter asteroid 2024 YR4 has about a 4% chance of striking the Moon in 2032. Though odds are small, researchers warn of hazards to lunar‑orbit and Earth satellites and highlight a rare chance to study impact mechanics, seismology and lunar composition.

2026-01-27T03:22:47.232524-08:00

Asteroid 2024 YR4: ~4% chance of striking the Moon in 2032 — risk to satellites and a rare science opportunity

SpaceWatch Global

U.S. launch infrastructure under strain as orbital cadence spikes A sharp rise in U.S. orbital launch activity is straining launch pads, range and recovery infrastructure, creating scheduling bottlenecks and prompting concerns about an emerging low‑Earth‑orbit “traffic jam.” Range operators and industry face harder trade‑offs between sustaining cadence, safety and capacity.

2026-01-26T03:18:12.352003-08:00

U.S. launch infrastructure under strain as orbital cadence spikes

SpaceNews.com

Startups book 2027 Falcon 9 rideshares to offer low‑cost memorial 'ashes in orbit' services Two startups are turning funerary services into rideshare payloads: Space Beyond has booked a slot on SpaceX's October 2027 Falcon 9 rideshare and will begin building its first memorial cubesat next week, while AstroRemains plans to place the ashes of 1,000 people into orbit in 2027 for $2,500 each.

2026-01-23T10:01:47.000520-08:00

Startups book 2027 Falcon 9 rideshares to offer low‑cost memorial 'ashes in orbit' services

European Spaceflight

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ESA issues tender to study Falcon 9 upper-stage breakup and re-entry over Poland in early 2025 The European Space Agency has issued a call for tender for a technical study into the breakup and uncontrolled re-entry of a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage forecast to descend over Poland in early 2025. The work will model fragmentation, debris footprint and re-entry risks to inform mitigation and response planning.

2026-01-23T00:32:40.903556-08:00

ESA issues tender to study Falcon 9 upper-stage breakup and re-entry over Poland in early 2025

Associated Press

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Sonic booms from reentering spacecraft can be located by seismic networks to map debris fall New research demonstrates that sonic booms produced during hypersonic breakup of reentering spacecraft generate ground‑coupled signals detectable by seismic networks. Combining acoustic and seismic records lets researchers reconstruct descent paths and pinpoint where potentially hazardous debris has fallen, improving post‑reentry response and hazard mapping.

2026-01-22T08:13:48.058824-08:00

Sonic booms from reentering spacecraft can be located by seismic networks to map debris fall

Space.com

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Shenzhou-20 lands after unplanned 270‑day mission following suspected debris strike; crew honoured China's Shenzhou-20 capsule landed at the Dongfeng site on Jan. 19, ending an unplanned 270‑day mission after roughly nine months docked to the Tiangong space station. The return vehicle survived a suspected orbital‑debris strike, and the three crew received aerospace achievement medals and 'Heroic Astronaut' honours on Jan. 21.

2026-01-21T08:22:45.362551-08:00

Shenzhou-20 lands after unplanned 270‑day mission following suspected debris strike; crew honoured

SpaceNews.com

Free warnings and better catalogs: practical fixes for space traffic safety Providing free, timely conjunction warnings and improving public space‑object catalogs can materially reduce collision risk in crowded orbits; the piece argues these immediate, cost‑effective steps would boost situational awareness for operators, simplify avoidance decisions, and lower the likelihood of damaging encounters.

2026-01-20T06:19:19.851081-08:00

Free warnings and better catalogs: practical fixes for space traffic safety

SpaceNews.com

Atomic-oxygen-resistant material could extend VLEO satellite lifetimes Researchers have developed an atomic-oxygen‑resistant material that significantly reduces surface erosion in very-low Earth orbit (VLEO). The coating could extend operational lifetimes for satellites operating in VLEO, enabling more persistent low-altitude missions and reducing AO-driven degradation.

2026-01-16T07:26:05.330871-08:00

Atomic-oxygen-resistant material could extend VLEO satellite lifetimes

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Space Debris & Traffic Management News

Asteroid 2024 YR4: ~4% chance of striking the Moon in 2032 — risk to satellites and a rare science opportunity

U.S. launch infrastructure under strain as orbital cadence spikes

Shenzhou-20 lands after unplanned 270‑day mission following suspected debris strike; crew honoured

Sonic booms from reentering spacecraft can be located by seismic networks to map debris fall

News Timeline