18. Juni 2026 | 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM | Lecture Hall 3, University Main Building (Regina-Pacis-Weg 1, 53113 Bonn)

For thousands of years, the sky has shaped the imaginations of many human cultures and inspired them with ideas. In recent decades, the human presence in Earth’s orbit has opened up new ways of engaging with these stories. Space travel also leaves physical traces in the form of space debris, which remains in Earth’s orbit and affects our lives as well as those of future generations on Earth. In this lecture, we will explore some of these stories and their short- and long-term impacts, opportunities, and risks: What are anti-satellite tests, and how do they relate to the so-called Kessler syndrome? What do we know about space debris, and to what extent does it interfere with the operation of spacecraft? And how do these operations affect our desire for an unobstructed view of the night sky?

The event is organized by the Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS) and the student group ASTRA.

Lecture by:

Dr.Vitali Braun

Engineer at the Space Debris Office of the European Space Agency (ESA)