Space debris represents a growing challenge to the safety and sustainability of space activities. In 2025, the Earth’s orbit will be cluttered with fragments of disused satellites, pieces of rockets and other abandoned objects, threatening space missions and vital infrastructures. Faced with this problem, a revolutionary technology, hitherto kept secret, is emerging to transform the way this debris is detected and tracked.
This breakthrough promises to redefine space management strategies, ensuring safer navigation and safeguarding the future of space exploration. Find out how this innovation could change the way space debris is tracked.
Using infrasound sensors to detect space debris
Scientists are now exploiting an unexpected technology to track space debris entering the Earth’s atmosphere: infrasound sensors. Originally designed to detect nuclear explosions during the Cold War, these sensors are managed by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). This global network provides continuous, weather-independent monitoring, capturing sound waves generated by space objects disintegrating in the atmosphere.
Thanks to their exceptional sensitivity, these sensors can track the trajectories of debris, offering invaluable help in anticipating the risks associated with their fall. This technology could also be used to track bolides, the large meteoroids that fragment in the sky.
Debris trajectory reconstruction methods
The team led by Elizabeth Silber uses the BIBEX-M computer model to analyze sound variations picked up by CTBTO sensors. This model enables the probable trajectories of space debris to be determined by studying the infrasound waves generated during atmospheric re-entry. Signal triangulation, which compares the arrival times of waves at different sensors, is essential for tracing the precise trajectory of an object.
However, the angle of entry plays a crucial role: angles greater than 60° allow more accurate analysis, while smaller angles increase uncertainty. This research is crucial for anticipating the potential impact of debris on Earth.
Importance of space debris monitoring
With the predicted increase in space missions, the number of man-made objects orbiting the Earth is constantly growing. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), some 130 million fragments of space debris measuring more than a millimeter are already cluttering our orbit, threatening current and future satellites.
Although many small fragments disintegrate during atmospheric re-entry, larger, denser objects can survive this fiery descent and reach the Earth’s surface. The ability to accurately track these trajectories is therefore essential to anticipate potential points of impact and take the necessary precautionary measures to minimize risks to people and infrastructure.
