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https://theconversation.com/harpoons-robots-and-lasers-how-to-capture-defunct-satellites-and-other-space-junk-and-bring-it-back-to-earth-189698>
"More than half of the thousands of satellites in orbit are now defunct, and
this accumulation of floating space debris has been described as a “fatal
problem” for current and future space missions and human space travel.
An estimated 130 million objects smaller than 1cm and 34,000 larger than 10cm
are travelling in orbit at speeds of thousands of kilometres per hour,
according to the European Space Agency (ESA). A report presented at this year’s
European conference on space debris suggests the amount of space junk could
increase fifty-fold by 2100.
While many fragments of space junk are small, they travel so fast their impact
has enough energy to disable a satellite or cause significant damage to space
stations.
Both the Hubble Telescope and the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) satellites had
coin-sized holes punched into them by flying debris and a mirror on Nasa’s
James Webb space telescope was damaged by micrometeoroids.
Most satellites were not designed with the end of their usefulness in mind.
About 60% of the 6,000 satellites in orbit are now out of order. Along with the
smaller objects these defunct satellites constitute a major problem both for
existing and future satellites and space stations.
Mega constellations of satellites currently being sent into space by
corporations such as SpaceX and Amazon are expected to transform access to the
internet for all countries. But these private telecommunications ventures will
also contribute 50,000 more satellites to already dangerously populated orbits.
Scientists have warned the rapid development of mega constellations risks
several “tragedies of the commons”, including to ground-based astronomy,
Earth’s orbit and Earth’s upper atmosphere."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
