Space Junk.
Sep. 7, 2011
A waste weightless, floating in space and encasing our beloved planet. This is the ecological disaster of decades of space exploration. In a report released this week, U.S. scientists are sounding the alarm: the number of debris floating in space has reached a "critical point", which threatens more and more on satellites and astronauts.
"Space is becoming more dangerous for spacecraft and astronauts," says this report Donald Kessler, former head of NASA and the president of a commission to study the issue of orbital debris. "NASA needs to find the best way to tackle all the problems caused by meteoroids and orbital debris that pose risks on men and the missions of space robots," said he.
Prohibition of debris pick another country
NASA has recorded 22 000 debris and estimated millions of those numbers too small to be recorded. Among the debris, at least 500 000 were between 1 and 10 cm in diameter, and can cause damage. Computer projections show that the number has reached a "critical point" which they will collide and create new debris, further increasing the risk of damaging the spacecraft, according to the National Research Council, an organization independent research which oversees the committee.
Space junk a conceptual artwork representing defunct satellites, failed missions, and shrapnel orbiting Earth
In 2007, China has further increased the number of debris by testing anti-satellite missile that had sprayed a weather satellite in 150 000 pieces. Or do the cleaning is not only expensive but also extremely complicated. Because the U.S. has no right under international law, to collect objects in space from other countries. "The Cold War is over but the issue of satellite technology is sensitive," says Vice-Chairman of the Committee, George Gleghorn.
The report of the Committee, 160 pages, recommends that NASA seeks the help of the State Department to address "the economic, technological, political and legal".
Current status of the launchers:
Since the sixties (early in the Mercury Program), NASA to recover some of the elements of its launch vehicles, mainly for technical and scientific expertise, a concern for ecological recovery emerged in the early 80 with the space shuttle with all elements of the launcher's back, the main tank burns in large part during its atmospheric re-entry., it was part of the basic concept, making the launch "less expensive" and more environmentally friendly "recycling" everything.
Recovery of Gemini V Booster
Image above: The external fuel tank of the orbiter falls back to earth after detaching from the space shuttle Discovery in July 2005. Engineers are analysing these photos as part of the extensive imagery data being gathered to understand falling debris during the shuttle's launch.
Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster Recovery
This image above provided by NASA show unidentified possible small debris recorded by digital still camera by Shuttle crew.
The Russian Space Station Mir burns up as it enters the Earth's atmosphere over Nadi, Fiji, in March 2001. After 15 years of service in outer space, Mir made its re-entry to Earth.
In Russia, Soyuz, Proton, only the boosters and the first stage are generally recovered by local scrap dealers.
KAZAKHSTAN - The fiery wreck of a rocket booster after crashing
The movie "Space Tourists" illustrates the impact of the Russian space program on the environment, if you find from your rental company movie, rent it! (See Trailer below).
Space Tourists
KAZAKHSTAN - The fiery wreck of a rocket after crashing
At the ESA, since the generation Ariane 5 boosters are recovered.
Ariane 5 solid rocket booster recovery
Over 90% of the debris fall into the oceans. Regarding the satellite end of life and other debris, the problem is their uncontrolled fall for some models.
The Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) is designed as the Progress cargo, to burn at its re-entry.
ATV re-entry
Examples of falling debris in all different parts of the world:
Australian farmer James Stirton stands next to a ball of twisted metal, purported to be fallen space junk, on his farm in southwestern Queensland in March 2008. Stirton found the giant ball, which he believes is space junk from a rocket used to launch communications satellites.
Theodore Solomons sits next to the metal ball that he saw fall from the sky on a farm close to Worcester, about 150 kilometres outside of Cape Town, south Africa in April 2000. A second metal ball dropped out of the sky the following day on a farm approximately 50 kilometres outside of Cape Town. Astronomers said the balls, which were white-hot when they landed, could be parts of a decaying satellite.
A US Customs official inspects the largest piece of wreckage from the downed Skylab at the San Francisco International Airport, California, in July 1979. The one-ton piece wreckage was found in Australia.
ALTAI, Russia - Villagers collect scrap from a crashed spacecraft, surrounded by thousands of white butterflies, 2000. Environmentalists fear for the region's future due to toxic rocket fuel.
ALTAI, Russia - Dead cows lie on a cliff, 2000. Locals say that whole herds of cattle and sheep regularly die because rocket fuel poisons the soil.
A main propellant tank of a Delta 2 launch vehicle which landed in Georgetown, Texas, on Jan. 22, 1997.
Space debris fell in Saudi Arabia
How to Track Space Junk Online: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/03/howtojunk/
AIAA's 1st Biennnial Congressional Aerospace Policy Retreat: http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=896
Images, Videos, Text, Credits: NASA / ESA / ROSCOSMOS PAO / AFP / Le Monde.fr / BBC / AIAA / AGI / Orbiter.ch.
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