Austin: Moscow should explain its troop buildup near Ukraine
November 17, 2021 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — American officials are unsure why Russian President Vladimir Putin is building up military forces near the border with eastern Ukraine but view it as another example of troubling military moves that demand Moscow's explanation, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday.
Spacewalkers take extra safety precautions for toxic ammonia
March 13, 2021 GMTCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Spacewalking astronauts had to take extra safety precautions Saturday after possibly getting toxic ammonia on their suits from the International Space Station's external cooling system...
Europe signs $102M deal to bring space trash home
November 26, 2020 GMTBERLIN (AP) — The European Space Agency says it is signing a 86 million-euro ($102 million) contract with a Swiss start-up company to bring a large piece of orbital trash back to Earth.
The agency said Thursday that the deal with ClearSpace SA will lead to the “first active debris removal mission” in 2025, in which a custom-made spacecraft will capture and bring down part of a rocket once used to deliver a satellite into orbit.
Spacewalking astronaut loses mirror, newest space junk
June 26, 2020 GMTCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A spacewalking astronaut added to the millions of pieces of junk orbiting the Earth on Friday, losing a small mirror on his sleeve as soon as he emerged from the International Space Station for battery work...
As orbit becomes more crowded, risk from space debris grows
April 21, 2017 GMTBERLIN (AP) — Decades' worth of man-made junk is cluttering up Earth's orbit, posing a threat to spaceflight and the satellites we rely on for weather reports, air travel and global communications...