Tag: space junk

Solving the space junk problem

Space is getting crowded. Aging satellites and space debris crowd low-Earth orbit, and launching new satellites adds to the collision risk. The most effective way to solve the space junk problem, according to a new study, is not to capture debris or deorbit old satellites: it’s an international agreement to charge operators “orbital-use fees” for every satellite put into orbit. Source:…

Rockets armed with talcum powder could stop deadly space junk

Thousands of dead satellites and chunks of debris in orbit are a threat to active satellites, but rockets that launch clouds of talcum powder may prevent a disastrous collision Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2239992-rockets-armed-with-talcum-powder-could-stop-deadly-space-junk/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

The Big Business of Being a Space Janitor

Companies are trying to capitalize on the threat of space junk with new technology to clean it up, but it’s not clear who will pay for the service. From a report: Today, thousands of pieces of space junk — ranging from tiny fragments of destroyed satellites to spent rocket bodies and defunct spacecraft — orbit around Earth, threatening operational satellites and…

An upcoming ESA mission is going to remove one piece of space junk from orbit

While working at the NASA Johnson Space Center during the 1970s, astrophysicist Donald Kessler predicted that collisions of space debris would become increasingly common as the density of space debris increases in orbit around the Earth, creating a cascading effect. Since 2005, the amount of debris in orbit has followed an exponential growth curve, confirming Kessler’s prediction. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-12-upcoming-esa-mission-piece-space.html…