Hard Power, Fragile Skies: Rethinking Orbital Security
Space Weapons Are Here, Now What?
On March 2019, India’s Mission Shakti marked a turning point in the geopolitics of space: a direct-ascent missile obliterated a satellite in LEO, and with it, the illusion that space would remain a sanctuary from national defense ambitions. The message was clear, India is now a space power with teeth. But that show of strength also sent fragments of uncertainty spiraling into orbit, reigniting global debate around militarization, debris risk, and the pressing need for rules that can keep pace with ambition.
This week, we also examine whether self-healing satellite materials, orbital debris catchers, and AI-driven insurance platforms can offer enough resilience in an era when even space stations have to dodge 20-year-old rocket fragments. From the ticking collision clock to atmospheric pollution from reentering satellites, one theme continues to emerge: our space environment is more fragile than we’d like to admit, and national power plays are adding pressure to that fragility. This is the new space race: messy, multipolar, and high-stakes. Buckle up!
In This Issue
India's First Anti- Satellite Test
Superhero self-healing polymer can protect satellites from fast-flying space debris
Thousands of Falling Satellites Put the Atmosphere at Risk
French startup developing space weapon to defend satellites and clean orbital debris
Space Missions Risks Assessment
Space Economy Faces Ticking Clock on Collision Risk
International Space Station fires thrusters to avoid Chinese rocket debris
India's First Anti- Satellite Test
India’s Mission Shakti wasn’t just a display of technical muscle, but a declaration: India has entered the elite club of space powers capable of taking out satellites. On March 27, 2019, the country successfully tested its first anti-satellite weapon, targeting and destroying its own Microsat-R satellite in low Earth orbit using a direct-ascent missile. Branded Project XSV-1, the operation was shrouded in secrecy and executed with surgical precision. India made sure the test happened at a relatively low altitude (284 km) to minimize long-term debris, and emphasized it wasn’t about weaponizing space, but rather about deterrence and protecting national space assets.
However, for the space sustainability crowd, Mission Shakti hit like a meteor warning. Even with careful planning, the test created hundreds of debris fragments, some of which soared above the ISS’s orbit. While most debris burned up in the atmosphere within weeks, a few lingered longer than expected, reminding us that even “responsible” ASAT tests can pollute precious orbital highways. NASA and other experts voiced concern, not just about this test, but the broader trend: LEO is getting crowded, and deliberate destruction of satellites adds real collision risk, even when you’re trying to be careful.
India insists it remains committed to peaceful space use, and to its credit, it continues engaging in global space governance discussions. But Mission Shakti revealed the growing tension between national security goals and orbital sustainability. As space becomes more strategic and more commercial, the stakes have never been higher. If countries want to flex military capability in orbit, we’ll need more than good intentions. We’ll need binding international norms, better transparency, and serious leadership to keep space open and safe for the next generation.
Superhero self-healing polymer can protect satellites from fast-flying space debris
Imagine a material that can take a hit from space debris and heal itself almost instantly, no sci-fi here, just cutting-edge science from Texas A&M University. Researchers have developed a groundbreaking self-healing polymer that behaves like a “liquid armor,” stretching to absorb the impact of high-speed projectiles and then snapping back to its original form. This dynamic material, known as a Diels-Alder Polymer (DAP), exhibits a unique ability: when punctured, it melts at the point of impact and re-solidifies, leaving behind a hole smaller than the projectile itself. Such behavior has never been observed at any scale before. While currently demonstrated at the nanoscale and under extreme temperatures, the potential applications are vast. From enhancing the durability of satellite components against micrometeoroids to developing advanced body armor, this self-healing polymer could revolutionize materials science.
Interesting Engineering & Texas A&M Engineering
Thousands of Falling Satellites Put the Atmosphere at Risk
Here’s the dark side of the satellite boom no one wants to talk about: falling satellites are quietly polluting our atmosphere. As Starlink, OneWeb, and others race to dominate LEO, thousands of satellites are burning up on reentry, and that fiery goodbye is releasing toxic metals like aluminum into the upper layers of our sky. The problem? Those particles don’t just vanish. They hang around, potentially messing with ozone chemistry and heating patterns in ways we barely understand.
The numbers are staggering. Every year, an estimated 60 tons of metal rain down from space, and that’s only going to grow as megaconstellations scale into the tens of thousands. The space industry’s cleanup plan? Let the atmosphere do the dirty work. But scientists are raising the alarm: our “burn and forget” strategy could trigger long-term environmental consequences that we’re completely unprepared for.
It’s a classic case of progress outpacing responsibility. Just like we learned with plastics in the ocean or carbon in the air, what goes up must come down, and now it’s falling back to Earth in a cloud of metal dust. If we want to keep space sustainable and our skies safe, we need better reentry rules, smarter satellite design, and an industry-wide reality check on how we treat our orbital trash.
French startup developing space weapon to defend satellites and clean orbital debris
Meet Dark, a stealthy startup founded by former missile engineers from MBDA and Thales, now building a spacecraft called Interceptor that’s equal parts satellite bodyguard and orbital janitor. Instead of launching from a spaceport, this craft will be air-deployed from modified commercial aircraft (similar to Virgin Orbit), giving it great flexibility. Once in orbit, Interceptor will identify threats, whether space junk or hostile spacecraft, grab them with robotic arms, and safely deorbit them over the South Pacific.
Backed by $11 million in funding and a team of 40 engineers, Dark is racing toward its first test flight in 2027, focusing on fast-response missions that could be deployed within 24 hours. With support from France’s space and defense agencies, this new model could unlock orbital protection capabilities for countries without launchpads.
Space Missions Risks Assessment
The space economy is booming, but with that growth comes a serious sustainability reckoning. ORBITinsure’s latest report pulls back the curtain on just how fragile our orbital environment has become. In 2024 alone, we saw a record 165 launches and nearly $1 billion in insurance claims, making it the most expensive year in spaceflight history. It’s not just the volume of satellites going up, it’s the mess we’re leaving behind. Collisions, fragmentation, and technical failures are turning Earth’s orbit into a high-stakes obstacle course. And here’s the kicker: most of the new risk isn’t coming from legacy operators, but from new players pushing the limits without robust risk strategies.
Space sustainability shouldn’t be just about cleaning up debris, it should be about redesigning how we operate from the start. ORBITinsure argues that insurance must evolve from passive coverage to active prevention, and they’re walking the talk. Their new platform, Warren™, uses AI to deliver real-time risk insights tailored to each mission, helping operators avoid the “black swan” events that turn debris into disaster.
The real takeaway? Sustainability has to become standard operating procedure. That means smarter design, stronger risk modeling, and more accountability across the board. As the orbital environment gets tighter, the margin for error disappears, and with it, the space to pretend this is someone else’s problem.
Space Economy Faces Ticking Clock on Collision Risk
According to Novaspace, we’re hurtling toward a collision crisis as mega-constellations flood low Earth orbit with thousands of satellites. What used to be a rare risk is now an ever-present danger. To stay ahead of this growing threat, global investment in Space Situational and Domain Awareness (SSDA) is projected to jump from $4.8 billion in 2024 to $6.2 billion by 2030, a staggering $56 billion over the next decade. But there’s a silver lining, the commercial sector is stepping up. While government players still drive most SSDA spending, private companies are bringing agility, innovation, and new business models to the table. Novaspace’s SSDA Market Intelligence Report doesn’t just sound the alarm, it offers a roadmap forward. With deep dives into sensor networks, market forecasts, and industry leaders, it’s a must-read for anyone serious about keeping space safe and profitable.
International Space Station fires thrusters to avoid Chinese rocket debris
The ISS just swerved out of harm’s way, again. On April 30, it had to fire its thrusters to dodge a chunk of Chinese rocket debris from a 2005 Long March launch. Without the maneuver, the fragment would’ve passed within just 0.4 miles of the station, way too close for comfort. Thanks to the Progress 91 cargo craft, which gave the station a 3.5-minute push, the crew stayed safe and the ISS avoided what could’ve been a high-speed disaster. This near miss isn’t just a one-off, it’s a symptom of an orbital environment filling up with aging satellites, defunct rocket parts, and fragments from past collisions. The fact that 20-year-old debris still poses a threat today shows how urgently we need better debris mitigation and space traffic coordination.
Interesting Posts & Videos
Adam Rossi paints a vivid picture of Earth’s orbit turning into a cosmic Manhattan, crowded, chaotic, and one collision away from gridlock. Enter Benchmark Space Systems. Their smart propulsion tech gives satellites the ability to dodge debris, deorbit safely, and navigate autonomously, helping protect missions, reduce costs, and keep the space economy on track.
Slingshot Aerospace’s Tim Solms and Melissa Quinn dropped a wake-up call for the global space community: we’re underestimating just how vulnerable space really is. From GPS jamming and ASAT weapons to a jam-packed LEO, the threats are growing fast, and voluntary norms and delayed budgets aren’t cutting it. Space isn’t a futuristic playground; it’s the infrastructure behind modern life, and right now, it’s hanging by a thread. For Solms and Quinn, it’s time for bold, unified action. They’re calling for a global Space Security Accord, real investment in resilient tech, and crystal-clear communication that space security isn’t about rockets and ego, but about keeping economies running and people safe. If we want a future where space remains a domain of opportunity (instead of conflict), it’s time to step up, speak out, and fund like it matters. Because it does.
In this wide-ranging conversation, Shane Smith of VICE News dives deep with Ashlee Vance, Jonathan McDowell, and Delian Asparouhov to unpack the rapidly changing landscape of space, and why we’re living in the most transformative era since Apollo. The explosion of commercial space activity has shifted the power dynamic away from governments and into the hands of venture-backed startups and billionaire founders. From Planet Labs’ humble origins as a group of garage-based idealists to becoming a key source of real-time intelligence during the Ukraine war, the story of modern space is no longer about rockets alone. It’s about data, power, and geopolitical leverage where private companies are now the gatekeepers. But it’s not all optimistic frontierism. The panel tackles the ethical minefield of real-time surveillance, the race for lunar dominance, and the looming threat of the Kessler Syndrome. Meanwhile, visionaries like Delian are building factories in orbit to manufacture high-value drugs that can only be made in microgravity, laying the groundwork for an industrial economy beyond Earth. As the U.S. and China battle for orbital dominance and companies like SpaceX amass unprecedented influence, one thing is clear: the future of space and of civilization itself, is being written now, not by governments, but by a handful of visionary disruptors with deep pockets, big ambitions, and the tech to back it up.
Conferences & Webinars & Contests
European Space for Sustainability Award - Deadline May 18.
Next Steps in Sustainable Space: In-orbit Insurance and Innovation - May 21-22, 2025 - Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh Campus
Side Event at SmallSat Europe – Understanding Space Sustainability: Handbook for New Actors in Space - May 28, 2025 - SmallSat Europe, Amsterdam
Zero Debris Week- 10-12 June (Registration Deadline May 14) - ESOC, Darmstadt Germany
The 7th Summit for Space Sustainability - October 22-23, 2025
Centre de Conférences Pierre Mendès France, Paris
Thanks for reading.
Until next time!