“As space activity accelerates, from mega-constellations of satellites to future lunar and Mars missions, we must make sure exploration doesn’t repeat the mistakes made on Earth,” says senior author and chemical engineer Jin Xuan of the University of Surrey. “A truly sustainable space future starts with technologies, materials and systems working together.”

Growing debris and the problem of abandoned satellites

The environmental toll continues long after launch. Most spacecraft and satellites are never recycled, which means that large amounts of material are permanently lost when missions end. Many older satellites are shifted into “graveyard orbits,” while others become drifting orbital debris that can disrupt the operation of active systems.

The authors argue that this approach cannot continue, especially with the increasing pace of private space missions. They highlight the need for a circular space economy, a model in which materials and equipment are created with reuse, repair, and recycling in mind. They also note that industries such as personal electronics and automotive manufacturing have already adopted similar ideas with considerable success.

“Our motivation was to bring the conversation about circularity into the space domain, where it’s long overdue,” says Xuan. “Circular economy thinking is transforming materials and manufacturing on Earth, but it’s rarely applied to satellites, rockets, or space habitats.”

Applying the 3 Rs to spacecraft, satellites, and space stations

According to the team, the foundation of a circular space economy lies in the 3 Rs: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Reducing waste would begin with building satellites and spacecraft that last longer and can be fixed more easily in space. They also suggest turning space stations into multifunctional centers where spacecraft can refuel, undergo repairs, or even have new components manufactured, which could cut down on the number of launches required.

The authors add that bringing spacecraft and space stations safely back to Earth for reuse would require better recovery systems, including technologies such as parachutes and airbags. They point out that equipment in space experiences significant wear because of extreme temperatures and radiation, so any part intended for reuse would need to pass strict safety checks.

Recovering orbital debris and using advanced technology for safer space operations

The researchers also recommend new efforts to gather orbital debris, such as using robotic arms or nets to collect fragments so the materials can be recycled. This would also help prevent collisions that create even more debris.

Data-driven tools will play an important role in this transition, the authors say. Information gathered from spacecraft could guide improvements in design and help limit waste, while simulation tools may reduce the need for expensive physical testing. They add that AI systems could help spacecraft and satellites avoid dangerous debris in real time.

Transforming the entire space system through innovation and global cooperation

The authors emphasize that a circular space economy represents a major shift in how the space sector works. Instead of focusing on single pieces of hardware, the entire system needs to be considered at once, from the materials used to how spacecraft are operated and retired.

“We need innovation at every level, from materials that can be reused or recycled in orbit and modular spacecraft that can be upgraded instead of discarded, to data systems that track how hardware ages in space,” says Xuan.

“But just as importantly, we need international collaboration and policy frameworks to encourage reuse and recovery beyond Earth. The next phase is about connecting chemistry, design, and governance to turn sustainability into the default model for space.”

This research received support from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Leverhulme Trust, and the Surrey-Adelaide Partnership Fund.

According to a study published Dec. 1 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from CU Boulder and their collaborators report that billions of years ago, the young planet’s atmosphere may have been generating sulfur-based molecules that are known today as important components for life.

This discovery challenges the long-standing idea that these sulfur molecules formed only after life had already taken hold on Earth.

“Our study could help us understand the evolution of life at its earliest stages,” said first author Nate Reed, a postdoctoral fellow at NASA who conducted the research while working in the Department of Chemistry and the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at CU Boulder.

Sulfur’s Importance and Why the Findings Matter

Sulfur, much like carbon, is a vital element found in every form of life, from bacteria to humans. It appears in certain amino acids, which serve as the basic building blocks of proteins.

Although sulfur was present in the early atmosphere, most scientists believed that organic sulfur molecules, such as amino acids, arose only after living organisms were already present and producing them.

Earlier attempts to simulate early Earth conditions often failed to generate meaningful amounts of sulfur biomolecules before life existed. When these molecules did appear, they formed only under unusual or highly specific conditions that were unlikely to have been common across the planet.

Because of this background, the scientific community reacted strongly when the James Webb Space Telescope detected dimethyl sulfide, a sulfur compound produced by marine algae on present-day Earth, in the atmosphere of an exoplanet called K2-18b. Many considered it a possible sign of life.

New Experiments Reveal Atmospheric Chemistry at Work

However, previous work by Reed and senior author Ellie Browne, a chemistry professor and CIRES fellow, showed that dimethyl sulfide could form naturally in the lab using only light and simple atmospheric gases. This indicated that the molecule might appear even on worlds without life.

In their latest experiment, Browne, Reed, and their team tested what Earth’s early sky might have been capable of producing. They illuminated a mixture of methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and nitrogen to recreate atmospheric conditions from before life emerged.

Working with sulfur is challenging, Browne noted. The element sticks to laboratory equipment, and in the atmosphere, sulfur-based molecules are present at extremely low levels compared to CO2 and nitrogen. “You have to have equipment that can measure incredibly tiny quantities of the products,” she said.

Using a very sensitive mass spectrometer to identify and measure chemical compounds, the researchers discovered that their early Earth simulation produced a wide range of sulfur biomolecules. These included the amino acids cysteine and taurine, along with coenzyme M, which plays a key role in metabolism.

A Sky Capable of Supporting a Growing Ecosystem

The team then estimated how much cysteine an entire ancient atmosphere might generate. Their calculations suggested that early Earth’s sky could have produced enough cysteine to support about one octillion (one followed by 27 zeros) cells. By comparison, modern Earth contains roughly one nonillion (one followed by 30 zeros) cells.

“While it’s not as many as what’s present now, that was still a lot of cysteine in an environment without life. It might be enough for a budding global ecosystem, where life is just getting started,” Reed said.

The researchers propose that these atmospheric biomolecules may have fallen to the surface through rainfall, potentially delivering the chemistry needed to help life begin.

“Life probably required some very specialized conditions to get started, like near volcanoes or hydrothermal vents with complex chemistry,” Browne said. “We used to think life had to start completely from scratch, but our results suggest some of these more complex molecules were already widespread under non-specialized conditions, which might have made it a little easier for life to get going.”

Dating to around 250 B.C., and possibly earlier in some sections, the structure is believed to be one of the earliest known examples of large-scale Roman architecture outside of temples and defensive walls.

Mogetta, who chairs Mizzou’s Department of Classics, Archaeology and Religion, explained that monumental construction served purposes beyond practical use. He noted that it also functioned as a strong form of political messaging.

“This discovery gives us a rare look at how the early Romans experimented with city planning,” he said. “Its location — at the center of the city near the main crossroads — suggests it may have been a monumental pool that was part of the city’s forum, or the heart of public life in Roman towns. Since archaeologists still don’t fully know what the early Roman Forum truly looked like, Gabii provides an invaluable window into its development.”

Connections to Earlier Excavations and Greek Influence

This new basin builds on the team’s previous findings at Gabii. One earlier feature, known as the “Area F Building,” is a terraced complex carved into the slope of the ancient volcanic crater around which the settlement formed.

Taken together, these discoveries indicate that early Roman builders drew significant inspiration from Greek architectural traditions. Greek cities featured paved civic spaces, dramatic terraces and grand gathering areas that communicated both cultural prestige and political power. Early Romans appear to have adapted many of these ideas for their own urban centers.

Why Gabii Matters for Understanding Early Rome

Gabii occupies a unique place in the study of Roman history. Mogetta explained that “while Rome’s earliest layers were buried beneath centuries of later construction, Gabii — a once-powerful neighbor and rival of Rome, first settled in the Early Iron Age — was largely abandoned by 50 B.C. and later reoccupied on a much smaller scale.” Because of this, he said, the ancient city’s original layout and building foundations remain unusually intact, offering a clear view of early Roman urban life.

Italy’s Ministry of Culture has designated the area as an archaeological park, now managed as part of the Musei e Parchi Archeologici di Praeneste e Gabii. This status has allowed teams of researchers, including the international Gabii Project, to systematically excavate and study the site. Mogetta became the director of this research group last year.

Next Steps in Excavation and Investigation

Supported by the General Directorate of Museums in Italy, the Gabii Project plans to continue excavating the basin and the surrounding stone-paved zone next summer. Researchers also intend to study a nearby “anomaly” detected through thermal imaging. Early indications suggest it could be a temple or another large civic structure.

“If it’s a temple, it could help us explain some of the artifacts we’ve already found in the abandonment levels of the basin, such as intact vessels, lamps, perfume containers and cups inscribed with unusual markings,” Mogetta said. “Some of these objects may have been deliberately placed there as religious offerings or discarded in connection with the ritual closing of the pool around 50 C.E. — thus underscoring the crucial role played by water management in ancient cities.”

The continuation of the Gabii Project aims to protect the site’s heritage while allowing scholars and visitors to better understand its history.

Unanswered Questions About Early Roman Society

One major question researchers hope to address is whether civic areas were developed before religious buildings, or the other way around. The answer could shed light on whether political activities or spiritual practices held greater influence in shaping the earliest Roman monumental landscapes.

By gathering evidence from the basin and surrounding structures, Mogetta and his team aim to reconstruct the full story of Gabii, from its growth and height of power to its later decline. Their work also contributes to a broader understanding of early Roman architecture and how it helped shape the urban world that followed.

White dwarfs frequently exist in binary systems, where two stars orbit each other. Most of these pairs are extremely old on galactic timescales and have cooled to temperatures near 4,000 degrees Kelvin. Recent observations, however, have uncovered a group of short period binaries in which the stars complete an orbit in less than an hour. These fast moving pairs do not match established predictions, since many appear to be roughly twice the expected size and have temperatures between 10,000 and 30,000 degrees Kelvin.

Investigating the Role of Tidal Heating

This unexpected behavior led a research team headed by Lucy Olivia McNeill of Kyoto University to examine the influence of tidal forces in these systems. Tides frequently distort objects that share close orbits, affecting how those orbits evolve over time.

“Tidal heating has had some success in explaining temperatures of Hot Jupiters and their orbital properties with their host stars. So we wondered: to what extent can tidal heating explain the temperatures of white dwarfs in short period binaries?” asks McNeill.

To explore this question, the researchers developed a theoretical model designed to estimate how much white dwarfs heat up in short period binaries. The model was built to be widely applicable, making it possible to estimate both the temperature history and the future orbital changes of white dwarfs in these systems.

Tidal Forces Reshape White Dwarf Evolution

The team’s analysis showed that tidal interactions can play a major role in how these stars evolve. In particular, the gravitational pull from a smaller white dwarf can raise internal heat within a larger but less massive companion. This added heat causes the star to expand and pushes its surface temperature to at least 10,000 degrees Kelvin.

Because of this expansion, the researchers propose that white dwarfs are likely to be twice the size predicted by standard theory at the point where they begin exchanging material, a stage known as mass transfer. As a result, these short period pairs may start interacting at orbital periods that are three times longer than scientists previously believed.

“We expected tidal heating would increase the temperatures of these white dwarfs, but we were surprised to see how much the orbital period reduces for the oldest white dwarfs when their Roche lobes come into contact,” says McNeill.

Implications for Stellar Explosions and Future Research

White dwarfs in extremely tight orbits will eventually interact and emit gravitational radiation. Systems of this kind are considered possible origins of type Ia supernovae and cataclysmic variables, two dramatic and scientifically important cosmic events.

Looking ahead, the team aims to apply their model to binary systems made of carbon-oxygen white dwarfs. Their goal is to better understand the potential pathways leading to type Ia explosions, especially whether realistic temperature predictions support the double degenerate (merger) scenario.