Space Junk.

[Suzy]

Crikey! That's a heck of a lot of space junk! :eyepop:
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/gallery-e6frer9f-1111120425914?page=1

[Kevnool]

Yep sure is a lot of junk.
Looks like you will be just visiting a junk yard up there.
Spacewalking would be a dangerous job.

Cheers Kev.

[renormalised]

Yep, sure is Suzy. You know you could make a killing if you started up a space salvage company and retrieved a lot of this junk:):)

[Alchemy]

The Chinese didn't do any favors when they recently tested their missile on an orbiting satellite, I guess done to show the rest of the world they had the technology, but it created an awful mess up there. Plus all the bits and bobs dropped lost or failed in previous missions by various nations. A piece of debris traveling at 20,000 km/h can do a lot of damage.... Faster than a speeding bullet.....

[Suzy]

It's only going to get worse, right? Or is there a plan - anyone know?

[bartman]

A Tholian Web might do the trick!:thumbsup:
What with all the new fandangled ""LAZEEERS"" out there, surely they (powers that be) could think of a network of Space Debris Destroying Satellites (SDDS tm).
Using the new Military Lasers out there :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL-Xi1tE9Vw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfmEUqmgsK4&feature=related

Some carefully placed SDDS's would clear up the skies!!!! Just make sure all EVA astronauts are inside, in case HAL thinks they are UNdesirable Space AVerted OUtcast Remote bodYs ( UNSAVOURY )!

Bartman:D

[renormalised]

It's only going to get worse...there's no plan to scoop up the garbage, so to speak:):P

Might cost a bit, but someone is going to make money out of it one day.

[renormalised]

Getting in on the acronym act already:):P

With that, you'll have them up there in no time!!!:)

[bartman]

Hehehe

"Getting in on the acronym act alreadyhttp://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/../vbiis/images/smilies/happy19.gifhttp://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/../vbiis/images/smilies/tongue05.gif

With that, you'll have them up there in no time!!!http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/../vbiis/images/smilies/happy19.gif"

I'm sure that is how many a project started of!
A Concerted effoRt Of New acronYMs! (ACRONYM)

Bartman

[renormalised]

:rolleyes::rolleyes::P:D

[OICURMT]

WOW! ... So, how's Virgin Galactic gonna avoid all that junk?

[bartman]

Richard Branson has a Galactic Seized Chastity Belt (GSCB tm)........hence the ""VIIIIIRGIN"":rofl:

and of course the SDDS's (tm) which by now he has taken the patent from me whilst he read this forum!:help:

Bartman

[DavidU]

What about all the smaller pieces? even a 5mm fastener off some booster travelling at 20K KMH would kill an astronaut on an EVA.
As more of this junk hits other junk at such high speed won't we end up with millions more partials becoming logarithmically smaller in size but exponentially growing in number?
Will we in years to come have a fog of small fragments that may make space travel difficult and much more dangerous?

[Benno18]

So. . . Is it just me or is most of the junk over one side of the Earth?

[bartman]

Heya Ben,
I thought the same thing but then read the small print under the pic!

. Debris on the eastern side of the image are in the Earths shadow and so not visible to the eye. AFP PHOTO

Pardon the pun but does that clear it up?

Bartman

[OICURMT]

Hey, if we could change the orbit of a small asteroid to go into low gravity orbit, it should sweep everything away (whether working or not)... then we could start over and do it right this time... (plus the surfers would have better waves... :lol: )

Thoughts? Comments?

OIC!

[renormalised]

Nah...go one better. Just fit a few rockets to the Moon. Shift her into a lower orbit (outside the Roche Limit, of course) and let the gravity of the Moon (and it's bulk) suck it all up:):P

That'll also provide the surfers with some decent waves:):P

[Jen]

:eyepop::eyepop: OMG what a mess :screwy:



:lol::lol::lol:

[AstralTraveller]

And longer solar eclipses!! :clap::clap::clap:

[renormalised]

Mega tides, huge storms, vast flooding, all sort of volcanic activity....lovely:eyepop::P:D

Mind you, Occy, Rabbit's, Beach's and a few of the boys and girls would be breaking out the long boards for one last ride:):P

[Kevnool]

No one cares about rubbish in space.

But try the same thing down here on earth then the boffins will take action.

Cheers Kev.

[AstralTraveller]

I prefer to see the glass as half-full. :P

[renormalised]

Rose coloured glass, by any chance:):P

[glenc]

"Space is quickly becoming a floating scrap heap, with more than 14,000 pieces of space junk larger than 10cm currently being tracked orbiting the Earth." http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/twinkle-twinkle-little-space-junk-20091019-h3eg.html?from=smh_ft

[Liz]

Interesting article, thanks Glen ..... an archeological graveyard of 14,000 objects!!

[Suzy]

Glen, that was a really interesting and informative read. Many thanks. :thumbsup:
So it appears there is no plan at this stage.
And, wow, the space station requires a few km's of clearance to avoid collision with these objects,... interesting.

I just came across this read in Wiki which I found really interesting also. Coolant, needles, paint flakes etc, all sorts of things to dodge up there. Further goes on to say ... (Quote from Wiki from the link given) "The present means for spacecraft shielding, such as those used for the manned modules of the International Space Station (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station), are only capable of protecting against debris with diameters below about 1 centimetre (0.39 in). The only remaining means of protection would be to maneuver the spacecraft in order to avoid a collision."
Here's the Wiki link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_debris