‘Ghost rockets and ASAT could become a ticking time bomb for astronauts,’ space researcher warns – News18

For decades, launching rockets into space and using anti-satellite (ASAT) missiles to destroy orbiting satellites has turned Earth’s orbit into a dangerous minefield. These ghost rocket stages, which travel at around 28,000 kilometers per hour, along with debris from exploded missiles, pose significant risks to astronauts and space stations now and in the future. Darren McKnight, principal technical researcher at LeoLabs, describes this situation as “a ticking time bomb” for human spaceflight and satellites orbiting our planet. McKnight is a leading expert on spacecraft tracking.

In an interview, he mentioned that he plans to discuss urgent solutions to these growing dangers at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) meeting next week in Milan.

Every year, top space researchers gather at the IAC to develop strategies to protect the future of space travel.

As head of data analysis at LeoLabs, McKnight has studied space debris extensively. LeoLabs uses advanced radar systems to monitor more than 20,000 objects in orbit, including abandoned rockets and ASAT debris. They also use predictive AI tools to predict potential collisions and alert satellite operators of possible crashes, Forbes reports.

Dan Ceperley, founder and COO of LeoLabs, warned on his website of the “inevitability of a catastrophe in low Earth orbit (LEO).” He pointed out that while LeoLabs can track many large space objects, it has difficulty monitoring countless smaller fragments created by previous explosions.

Ceperley reportedly warned that potential dangers in LEO could include astronauts hit by “small, deadly debris” or an “operational payload under attack by an adversary.” Its “Guide to Disasters in Low Earth Orbit” points out that tiny fragments, less than a centimeter long, could be fatal to astronauts performing spacewalks outside the International Space Station (ISS) .

“Any fragment larger than a few millimeters is likely lethal to astronauts,” he told Forbes, drawing attention to a recent incident in which a small piece of debris pierced the Canadarm2 robot at the exterior of the ISS. “Simply put, what we cannot see has the potential to kill us,” he reportedly warned.

McKnight believes that abandoned rocket stages in higher LEO could pose the most significant threats to future space missions, whether manned or unmanned. During the first space race, superpowers often left their spent rocket stages in orbit, and no agreement was reached to eliminate these dangers.

According to Forbes, in June 2022, a Soviet rocket nearly collided with an American rocket, coming within 500 meters of each other, even as political tensions rose following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. McKnight warned that such a collision could have released debris “several hundred kilometers” and created dangerous shrapnel that could remain in orbit for centuries.

Ian Christensen, senior director of the Secure World Foundation, urges all space agencies to take steps to eliminate these dangers, as they threaten human exploration just above our atmosphere, Forbes informs.