Authored by Jacob Cummings and Connor Chen In late January 2026, SpaceX unveiled Stargaze, a novel SSA system that enhances orbital safety in an increasingly congested low-Earth orbit (LEO). Stargaze leverages existing star tracker cameras, already installed on SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, to detect and track nearby satellites and debris. Traditional ground-based radar and telescope systems track an object only a few times per day due to daytime limitations, weather, and atmospheric...

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) withdrew their Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) titled "Mitigation Methods for Launch Vehicle Upper Stages on the Creation of Orbital Debris" . This proposed rule was first introduced on September 26, 2023, aiming to align U.S. regulations with international guidelines.   The rule mandated that "if debris, including spent upper stages and other components, is released during launch or reentry, during on-orbit aspects of launch or reentry, or...

The Space Debris Foundation on 9 February, 2026 signed the Zero Debris Charter in Vienna, Austria at the United Nations. Our organization believes that the Zero Debris Charter is a starting point for effective debris mitigation, building off of the IADC Guidelines. The goal to prevent the production of further debris in orbit is of utmost importance. By collaborating internationally via this Charter, it moves us all closer to unified standards to address the space debris issue.