March 01, 2026
Scientists from Imperial College London, UK, and Johns Hopkins University, USA, have devised a method to detect space debris while it re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere. Debris re-entering the atmosphere moves at speeds higher than the speed of sound, creating sonic booms. These shockwaves spread across the ground. The new technique involves using seismometers–instruments used to detect earthquakes–to identify these shockwaves. This new method can help scientists chart the course of space junk more accurately than earlier techniques and can be used in conjunction with existing methods to achieve better results.
DID YOU KNOW?
According to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientists, the speed of a large amount of space junk can reach nearly 29,000kms/hr!
Image for representation purposes
