Cosmic Queries – Space Junk! with Moriba Jah

What you'll learn

• 1 (02:35) **Introducing the Space Environmentalist** - Neil, Chuck, and guest Moriba Jah frame the conversation: space junk is a growing crisis that demands a new kind of expert.
• 2 (03:30) **Moriba Jah’s Origin Story: From Guarding Nukes to Tracking Dots in the Sky** - Moriba shares his unconventional path to becoming an astrodynamicist.
• 3 (06:56) **The Magnitude of the Problem: 30,000 Tracked Objects** - Moriba gives a stark overview of the current state of orbital debris, setting the stage for the discussion.
• 4 (13:36) **The China Rocket Snafu: Irresponsible or Illegal?** - A listener asks about China’s uncontrolled rocket booster reentry, probing the line between negligence and legal responsibility.
• 5 (19:13) **The U.S. Is Not Without Guilt** - Chuck presses the point: is America any better than China when it comes to dead rocket bodies?
• 6 (27:37) **Lagrange Points: A Celestial Junkyard?** - A listener proposes collecting all space junk at a Lagrange point, like a space salvage yard.
• 7 (31:11) **Starlink and the “License to Launch” Problem** - A listener asks whether SpaceX’s plan to launch 42,000 satellites creates a dangerous net around Earth.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app