RASCTO Speaker's Night: Space Debris Falling on Saskatchewan: Fallout from the Billionaire Space Race [Online Only]
Speaker: Dr. Samantha Lawler, Associate Professor of Astronomy, University of Regina
Abstract: In February 2024, hundreds of pounds of potentially lethal debris from a SpaceX Crew Dragon trunk from a private astronaut mission fell on farmland near Regina, Saskatchewan. Dr. Samantha Lawler of the University of Regina has been studying the proliferation of objects in orbit over the past few years, and was stunned to learn that space debris fell so close to her home. Come hear the story of SpaceX employees driving a rented U-Haul truck to an isolated farm to be greeted by an astronomer and a dozen of Saskatchewan's finest local journalists, and what all of this means for international law, commercial satellites in Low Earth Orbit, atmospheric pollution, and the future of astronomy.
Who can attend: Everyone
Fee: Free
Registration: Not required
Organized by: RASC, Toronto Centre and York University