The amount of space junk falling back to Earth is increasing as rocket launches and satellite deployments increase. Although most debris disintegrates in the atmosphere or lands in the ocean, large objects, roughly a metric ton in weight, are now re-entering Earth's atmosphere approximately once a week, according to reports Mariusz Slonina, who leads space situational awareness operations for the Polish Space Agency, stated that around one metric ton of space debris re-enters Earth's atmosphere weekly. “The re-entries happen each and every day,” he said. Reflecting the rapid increase in space activity, the US Space Force recorded nearly 820 objects re-entering the atmosphere in 2025, a sharp rise from just 110 a decade earlier.<h3>Growing frequency of rocket launches</h3>A similar incident took place near Mukuku village in Kenya, where a sizeable metal ring from a rocket crashed into farmland. Rather than burning up during re-entry, the object landed intact and was later traced to a rocket that had been orbiting Earth for over 16 years. The growing frequency of rocket launches and satellite deployments continues to drive up the volume of debris returning to Earth. Last year alone saw more than 300 rocket launches, while thousands of satellites remain in orbit, many of which eventually re-enter the atmosphere once their missions conclude. Recent developments indicate debris from the International Space Station landed on a home in Florida, and parts of a SpaceX rocket fell in Poland. Another example includes a defunct Chinese satellite which broke apart over Spain's Canary Islands. In addition, pieces of space debris have also been discovered in Australia and the Philippines.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/world-s-largest-digital-camera-captures-over-500-000-galaxies-50-000-stars-in-one-stunning-image-1785657873100">World's largest digital camera captures over 500,000 galaxies, 50,000 stars in one stunning image</a> An FAA-commissioned study projected that by 2035, debris from SpaceX satellites alone could result in an injury or death roughly once every two years. Experts have called on governments and companies to adopt materials designed to fully burn up during re-entry, though no such regulations currently exist. The report noted that existing UN treaties addressing liability for space debris were established during the Cold War era and remain narrow in scope. It further noted that although the UN released guidelines on space debris in 2007, these remain non-binding. According to The New York Times, predicting the exact landing location of uncontrolled space debris remains beyond the capability of even top rocket scientists. A miscalculation of just one minute in estimating re-entry timing can shift the potential landing zone by nearly 300 miles.

Recent developments indicate debris from the International Space Station landed on a home in Florida, and parts of a SpaceX rocket fell in Poland. Another example includes a defunct Chinese satellite which broke apart over Spain's Canary Islands.

The amount of space junk falling back to Earth is increasing as rocket launches and satellite deployments increase. Although most debris disintegrates in the atmosphere or lands in the ocean, large objects, roughly a metric ton in weight, are now re-entering Earth's atmosphere approximately once a week, according to reports Mariusz Slonina, who leads space situational awareness operations for the Polish Space Agency, stated that around one metric ton of space debris re-enters Earth's atmosphere weekly. “The re-entries happen each and every day,” he said. Reflecting the rapid increase in space activity, the US Space Force recorded nearly 820 objects re-entering the atmosphere in 2025, a sharp rise from just 110 a decade earlier. Growing frequency of rocket launches A similar incident took place near Mukuku village in Kenya, where a sizeable metal ring from a rocket crashed into farmland. Rather than burning up during re-entry, the object landed intact and was later traced to a rocket that had been orbiting Earth for over 16 years. The growing frequency of rocket launches and satellite deployments continues to drive up the volume of debris returning to Earth. Last year alone saw more than 300 rocket launches, while thousands of satellites remain in orbit, many of which eventually re-enter the atmosphere once their missions conclude. Recent developments indicate debris from the International Space Station landed on a home in Florida, and parts of a SpaceX rocket fell in Poland. Another example includes a defunct Chinese satellite which broke apart over Spain's Canary Islands. In addition, pieces of space debris have also been discovered in Australia and the Philippines. Also read: World's largest digital camera captures over 500,000 galaxies, 50,000 stars in one stunning image An FAA-commissioned study projected that by 2035, debris from SpaceX satellites alone could result in an injury or death roughly once every two years. Experts have called on governments and companies to adopt materials designed to fully burn up during re-entry, though no such regulations currently exist. The report noted that existing UN treaties addressing liability for space debris were established during the Cold War era and remain narrow in scope. It further noted that although the UN released guidelines on space debris in 2007, these remain non-binding. According to The New York Times, predicting the exact landing location of uncontrolled space debris remains beyond the capability of even top rocket scientists. A miscalculation of just one minute in estimating re-entry timing can shift the potential landing zone by nearly 300 miles.

Recent developments indicate debris from the International Space Station landed on a home in Florida, and parts of a SpaceX rocket fell in Poland. Another example includes a defunct Chinese satellite which broke apart over Spain's Canary Islands.

'One metric ton every 7 days': Space junk falling to Earth once a week as rocket launches surge

Building a weather-proof rocket is technically possible, as proven by military ICBMs. However, doing so adds massive weight and cost while reducing payload capacity. For space agencies, it is safer and cheaper to simply wait for clear skies than to engineer a storm-proof 

Building a weather-proof rocket is technically possible, as proven by military ICBMs. However, doing so adds massive weight and cost while reducing payload capacity. For space agencies, it is safer and cheaper to simply wait for clear skies than to engineer a storm-proof&nbsp;

Is it possible to make a rocket that isn’t affected by bad weather?

NASA’s Artemis rocket requires massive amounts of liquid hydrogen because it is the most efficient chemical fuel available. Its low density means huge volumes are needed to provide the immense thrust required to lift the heavy vehicle away from Earth and send astronauts to the Moon.


NASA’s Artemis rocket requires massive amounts of liquid hydrogen because it is the most efficient chemical fuel available. Its low density means huge volumes are needed to provide the immense thrust required to lift the heavy vehicle away from Earth and send astronauts to the Moon.

Why does NASA’s Artemis mission need so much liquid hydrogen fuel?

Rocket launches are precision operations where even minor weather disturbances can cause catastrophic failure. Space agencies follow strict 'Launch Commit Criteria' to monitor wind, lightning, and atmospheric conditions. 

Rocket launches are precision operations where even minor weather disturbances can cause catastrophic failure. Space agencies follow strict 'Launch Commit Criteria' to monitor wind, lightning, and atmospheric conditions.&nbsp;

How can weather affect a rocket launch?

The Indian Space Agency (ISRO) commenced the countdown for the Saturday launch of its PSLV rocket carrying two Singaporean satellites. The 25 hours 30 minutes countdown commenced at 12:50 on Friday,&nbsp;and the vehicle liftoff will happen at 2:20 pm (Indian time) on Saturday. This will be the 57th&nbsp;flight of India's PSLV rocket, at present the oldest and most-flown rocket in the country's fleet.&nbsp;

The primary passenger satellites is TeLEOS-2, a 741kg satellite developed under a partnership between DSTA (representing the Government of Singapore) and ST Engineering. Once deployed and operational, it will be used to support the all-weather, day and night, satellite imagery requirements of various agencies within the Government of Singapore. TeLEOS-2 carries a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload.

The secondary passenger is LUMELITE-4, a 16-kg satellite developed by Singaporean academia. LUMELITE-4 is developed for the technological demonstration of the High-Performance Space-borne VHF Data Exchange System (VDES). It aims to augment Singapore’s e-navigation maritime safety and benefit the global shipping community.

In addition to the two primary satellites, there are seven non-separating payloads that are on-board the PSLV rocket. These experiments would be housed within the fourth&nbsp;and final stage of the rocket.&nbsp;According to ISRO,&nbsp;PSLV-C55 mission will carry out in-orbit scientific experiments by using the spent PS4 stage as an orbital platform. This is the third time that PS4 will be used after satellite separations as a platform for experiments.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-polish-climber-rescues-indian-mountaineer-anurag-maloo-from-depths-of-annapurna-crevasse-584813">Polish climber rescues Indian mountaineer Anurag Maloo from depths of Annapurna crevasse</a>

Earlier this week, ISRO anounced that the PSLV vehicle in its core-alone configuration (without strap on boosters) would lift-off from the first launch pad in Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, at 2:19pm. The two satellites will be placed in a circular obrit, 586kms above the earth's surface. However, the launch is now learnt to have been delayed by a minute. What's in a minute you may ask. In orbital rocketry, a minute could mean the difference between catastrophe and celebration.

<h2>How are rocket launch timings determined?</h2>

There is an entire branch of space science known as 'Orbital Mechanics' that is used to determine what is known as a 'Launch window', a period of time within which a certain launch must happen. Launch windows depend on a plethora of factors - place of launch, type of orbit intended, final destination, whether the satellite is headed for another planet, number of satellites being carried, the time of the year, position of the relevant heavenly bodies and also minimal risk of space debris.&nbsp;

We know that&nbsp;Low Earth orbit is getting increasingly populated with constellations of communication satellites from various firms, and also pre-existing satellites, space debris and much more. Under such circumstances, space agencies look at the safest time of flight, when there is nil risk of collission or proximate approaches with space debris. Even, millimetre-sized debris can pose a major threat to space assets, as the debris in Low Earth orbit circles the earth at speeds close to 27,000kmph. A collission at such speeds could have unimaginable impacts.&nbsp;

<h2>How ISRO monitors space debris, safeguards space assets?</h2>

The Indian Space agency has a facility aimed at performing what in simple terms can be explained as a holistic 'Traffic Management in Space' and to ensure the sustainable use of space. Known as the&nbsp;'ISRO System for Safe &amp; Sustainable Operations Management' (IS4OM), the new facility based in Bengaluru will perform a host of functions - safeguarding India's space assets, protecting them from space debris, predicting the orbital movement of debris, predicting likely collisions and coordinating with global agencies for all of the above.&nbsp;

"This is not about (space)traffic management alone, it is about keeping orbits available to everyone, operating in space without causing problems to one another and ensuring sustainable use" explained ISRO Chairman, Dr&nbsp;S. Somanath had earlier told WION.&nbsp;

Elaborating on the different functions of 'IS40M', Dr&nbsp;Somanath said, "Firstly it is about using radars and optical observation to watch and tag objects in space, then we will have to&nbsp;consider the effect of earth's gravitational pull, impact of sun and moon etc. and&nbsp;predict the movement of the said object/debris. Based on this, we will have to look for possibilities of collisions. This entire process has to be carried out on a daily basis. In case an object poses a threat to our satellite, we must accordingly move our satellite out of harm's way and also inform foreign agencies(whose satellites are in the vicinity) about our collision avoidance maneuver."

In addition to this, the objects that are likely to fall back onto earth), asteroids that are on collision course with earth will also have to be tracked. These are complex calculations and are error-prone, owing to the large number of factors involved, thus necessitating various corrections.&nbsp;Dr&nbsp;Somanath added that these mathematical models used to calculate and project the path of debris and their impact etc. are indigenously developed and even if a country wanted, such models are not available for purchase in the International market.

On India's capabilities, he had explained that India has radars that are&nbsp;meant to observe satellites and the Indian space agency is also installing optical tracking facilities. However, the Indian space agency&nbsp;does not have all facilities required to track objects of 10cm size and for this it relies on data provided by foreign agencies.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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The Indian Space Agency (ISRO) commenced the countdown for the Saturday launch of its PSLV rocket carrying two Singaporean satellites. The 25 hours 30 minutes countdown commenced at 12:50 on Friday, and the vehicle liftoff will happen at 2:20 pm (Indian time) on Saturday.

The Indian Space Agency (ISRO) commenced the countdown for the Saturday launch of its PSLV rocket carrying two Singaporean satellites. The 25 hours 30 minutes countdown commenced at 12:50 on Friday, and the vehicle liftoff will happen at 2:20 pm (Indian time) on Saturday. This will be the 57th flight of India's PSLV rocket, at present the oldest and most-flown rocket in the country's fleet. The primary passenger satellites is TeLEOS-2, a 741kg satellite developed under a partnership between DSTA (representing the Government of Singapore) and ST Engineering. Once deployed and operational, it will be used to support the all-weather, day and night, satellite imagery requirements of various agencies within the Government of Singapore. TeLEOS-2 carries a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload. The secondary passenger is LUMELITE-4, a 16-kg satellite developed by Singaporean academia. LUMELITE-4 is developed for the technological demonstration of the High-Performance Space-borne VHF Data Exchange System (VDES). It aims to augment Singapore’s e-navigation maritime safety and benefit the global shipping community. In addition to the two primary satellites, there are seven non-separating payloads that are on-board the PSLV rocket. These experiments would be housed within the fourth and final stage of the rocket. According to ISRO, PSLV-C55 mission will carry out in-orbit scientific experiments by using the spent PS4 stage as an orbital platform. This is the third time that PS4 will be used after satellite separations as a platform for experiments. ALSO READ | Polish climber rescues Indian mountaineer Anurag Maloo from depths of Annapurna crevasse Earlier this week, ISRO anounced that the PSLV vehicle in its core-alone configuration (without strap on boosters) would lift-off from the first launch pad in Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, at 2:19pm. The two satellites will be placed in a circular obrit, 586kms above the earth's surface. However, the launch is now learnt to have been delayed by a minute. What's in a minute you may ask. In orbital rocketry, a minute could mean the difference between catastrophe and celebration. How are rocket launch timings determined? There is an entire branch of space science known as 'Orbital Mechanics' that is used to determine what is known as a 'Launch window', a period of time within which a certain launch must happen. Launch windows depend on a plethora of factors - place of launch, type of orbit intended, final destination, whether the satellite is headed for another planet, number of satellites being carried, the time of the year, position of the relevant heavenly bodies and also minimal risk of space debris. We know that Low Earth orbit is getting increasingly populated with constellations of communication satellites from various firms, and also pre-existing satellites, space debris and much more. Under such circumstances, space agencies look at the safest time of flight, when there is nil risk of collission or proximate approaches with space debris. Even, millimetre-sized debris can pose a major threat to space assets, as the debris in Low Earth orbit circles the earth at speeds close to 27,000kmph. A collission at such speeds could have unimaginable impacts. How ISRO monitors space debris, safeguards space assets? The Indian Space agency has a facility aimed at performing what in simple terms can be explained as a holistic 'Traffic Management in Space' and to ensure the sustainable use of space. Known as the 'ISRO System for Safe & Sustainable Operations Management' (IS4OM), the new facility based in Bengaluru will perform a host of functions - safeguarding India's space assets, protecting them from space debris, predicting the orbital movement of debris, predicting likely collisions and coordinating with global agencies for all of the above. "This is not about (space)traffic management alone, it is about keeping orbits available to everyone, operating in space without causing problems to one another and ensuring sustainable use" explained ISRO Chairman, Dr S. Somanath had earlier told WION. Elaborating on the different functions of 'IS40M', Dr Somanath said, "Firstly it is about using radars and optical observation to watch and tag objects in space, then we will have to consider the effect of earth's gravitational pull, impact of sun and moon etc. and predict the movement of the said object/debris. Based on this, we will have to look for possibilities of collisions. This entire process has to be carried out on a daily basis. In case an object poses a threat to our satellite, we must accordingly move our satellite out of harm's way and also inform foreign agencies(whose satellites are in the vicinity) about our collision avoidance maneuver." In addition to this, the objects that are likely to fall back onto earth), asteroids that are on collision course with earth will also have to be tracked. These are complex calculations and are error-prone, owing to the large number of factors involved, thus necessitating various corrections. Dr Somanath added that these mathematical models used to calculate and project the path of debris and their impact etc. are indigenously developed and even if a country wanted, such models are not available for purchase in the International market. On India's capabilities, he had explained that India has radars that are meant to observe satellites and the Indian space agency is also installing optical tracking facilities. However, the Indian space agency does not have all facilities required to track objects of 10cm size and for this it relies on data provided by foreign agencies. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Explained: ISRO starts countdown for launch of 'PSLV-C55', but why the one-minute delay?

Britain is supplying multiple launch rocket systems to Ukraine. UK is supplying M270 rocket launches which are capable of hitting targets which are 80 kilometers away. The UK defense secretary also says that Ukrainian troops will be trained to use the new launches.

M270 Rocket Launches | UK: Support for Kyiv changes as Russia's tactic evolves

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