An Object Struck a Satellite in Earth’s Orbit, Leaving a Hole
So, it turns out that satellites aren’t just minding their own business up there. NanoAvionics recently shared some alarming images showing a very real, very tiny hole punched into their MP42 satellite. Launched in 2022 to carry instruments for various clients, MP42 took a direct hit from a chickpea-sized object hurtling at breakneck speeds. No, they don’t think it was a rogue can of beans, but the origin remains a mystery. A micrometeoroid? Space debris? Either way, it’s a reminder that space isn’t the peaceful, vast emptiness it’s cracked up to be. Check out the full story here.
NanoAvionics, the company behind the battered satellite, didn’t hold back on their call for “responsible space operations” — you know, the kind that keeps space junk in check and satellites a little less holey. They pointed out that the impact didn’t turn MP42 into a floating junk pile, but still, a hole in a solar panel isn’t exactly a victory.
Space – Now with 100% More Flying Junk!
Earth’s orbit, especially in an area called Low Earth Orbit (LEO), is turning into a cosmic junkyard. According to NASA, LEO is loaded with millions of bits and pieces, from dead satellites to innocent paint flecks peeled off by the fury of space. It’s a growing hazard for every spacecraft we send up, and things could get messier if we reach the Kessler effect – a chain reaction where each collision adds more debris until space becomes, well, a floating scrapyard.
This space debris or micrometeoroid impact would have been left unnoticed if not for MP42's selfie camera.
— Kongsberg NanoAvionics (@NanoAvionics) October 30, 2024
But two questions still remain unanswered:
When the impact occurred and what caused it.
(🧵1/3) pic.twitter.com/zHd2P3aqnO
NanoAvionics is doing its part by joining the European Space Agency’s Zero Debris Charter. This plan to reduce new space debris by 2030 is a step toward protecting space’s future, so we don’t end up with something out of a cosmic demolition derby. But this means making sure that satellites don’t litter their gear or needlessly explode, and that defunct craft get sent earthward to burn up before they cause trouble.
So next time you’re outside gazing up at the stars, remember that while some are just distant suns, some could be space debris zipping around in the orbital landfill known as LEO.