Welcome to another edition of the newsletter. I have great news to share with all of you today. Through my work as a science-fiction author, and now space entrepreneur — and with guidance from legendary astrophysicist Dr. Donald Kessler himself — I established SOAR to turn awareness of the Kessler Effect into actionable solutions.

I’m thrilled to share that on July 15, I was interviewed by SpaceNews to announce an exciting partnership with the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) National Security Institute. Together, we are developing the Passive Orbital Debris Removal System (PODRS) — a rotating, multi-panel structure featuring layered Whipple-style shielding designed to passively capture and trap small debris (10 cm or less). Equipped with sensors to record impacts, momentum transfer, and strike frequency, PODRS will focus on high-consequence orbits where the risks to our critical satellite infrastructure are greatest. Retired U.S. Space Force Col. Eric Felt and the UTEP team are leading key design and analysis work. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in maturing technologies to mitigate small debris before it becomes a crisis.

Feel free to read the full article at SpaceNews.com https://spacenews.com/new-startup-working-with-university-of-texas-seeks-to-trap-small-debris/)

Here are some recent highlights of the orbital debris landscape this month which underscore why initiatives like ours are urgently needed:

• Micah Hanks, Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief noted that researchers from the University of Warwick and collaborators detected 25 previously uncatalogued faint objects (down to ~5 cm) in geosynchronous orbit using advanced blind stacking techniques. Nearly 80% were absent from public catalogs, highlighting a “potential minefield” for vital communications and weather satellites. (Source: The Debrief - https://thedebrief.org/a-potential-minefield-in-earths-orbit-has-scientists-sounding-the-alarm-over-hidden-objects-threatening-critical-satellites/)

• Six metallic pressure vessels from a foreign rocket body washed ashore in Queensland, Australia, prompting hazmat responses and reinforcing the real-world impacts of uncontrolled reentries. (Source: FODNews, July 13, 2026 – https://fodnews.com/rocket-pressure-vessels-queensland-beach-space-debris/)

• Promising technical concepts advanced, including a hybrid net-membrane system proposed by Chinese researchers for capturing tricky debris, and an Arizona startup’s robotic LINK mission to boost the deorbiting Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. (Source: Universe Today, July 6, 2026 – https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-new-net-membrane-could-clean-up-some-tricky-space-debris)

• Reditus Space completed its ENOS reentry vehicle (targeting a Florida splashdown), and Florida’s new HB 221 law (effective July 1) now requires reporting of found space assets with penalties for unauthorized retention. (Source: SpaceNews & local reports, July 2026 – https://spacenews.com/reditus-space-completes-first-reentry-vehicle/)

I believe passive, cost-effective systems like PODRS can complement active removal efforts and help safeguard the orbits we all depend on. We look forward to updating you on our progress with UTEP and invite collaboration from like-minded organizations, researchers, and supporters.