Space debris is forcing satellites to dodge more often — costing us vital science. 'Things will get worse before they get better'

On the morning of Jan. 8, 2025, a red dot popped up on NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System. It was the first sign of what would become one of California's worst wildfires in history, going on to claim a dozen lives and burn down thousands of homes in the Palisades. All the while, the Aqua satellite was orbiting above, scanning the planet and beaming data down to ground stations in Alaska and Svalbard. …