“There’s something moving out there…!” – tracking space debris as a stargazer

Some man-made objects in space – satellites and the International Space Station ISS in particular – are visible to the naked eye as twilight falls  and the Sun has set. But there’s plenty more moving up there! Well over three quarters of a million pieces of space debris circle the Earth, all of which could cause severe damage if they collide with satellites or the ISS. Tracking space debris is of critical importance to increasing safety in space.

The Institute of Technical Physics at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) will open its doors to the research observatory for the monitoring of space debris during “Stuttgartnacht” on Saturday, 20 October 2018. The facility is part of Schwäbische Sternwarte e.V. in Uhlandshöhe, Stuttgart. Learn how DLR scientists use lasers to determine the trajectories of debris. What makes this research objective so special is the immense precision of their trajectory calculations, determining the paths of debris within just a few metres from a remote location over 1000 kilometres away. The purpose is to ensure that highly effective evasive manoeuvres can be performed in orbit, improving the ability to avoid collisions with space debris.

We look forward to welcoming you!