Scientists Just Learned How To Track Space Junk Slamming Into Earth With Sonic Booms

Researchers have discovered that the same sensors used to detect earthquakes are the key to tracking the growing swarm of space junk plummeting toward Earth.

As the orbital highway becomes increasingly congested, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) 2025 Space Environment Report paints a sobering picture: intact satellites and rocket bodies are now re-entering our atmosphere at an average rate of more than three times a day. While many are designed to incinerate upon entry, the sheer volume of debris (estimated at over 1.2 million objects larger than a centimeter) poses a persistent threat to aviation and infrastructure.

Now, researchers from Johns Hopkins University and Imperial College London are proposing a solution by listening for a thump in the sky. Specifically, as space debris enters the atmosphere at supersonic speeds exceeding Mach 25, it creates powerful sonic booms ...