Space junk Space junks are millions of man-made debris that floats around the earth, creating potential problems and dangers to operational aircrafts. The debris consist of tiny flecks of paint, defunct satellites blowing up in outer space, destroyed weather satellites, and the debris that came from the defunct Soviet satellite when it struck the American Iridium satellite over Northern Siberia. Mankind’s journey towards outer space which began with the launch of the Soviet satellite, Sputnik in 1957, had a series of launches that swamped outer space with so much debris of inert material. Launch vehicles made over the years left massive flecks of debris that left around half a million of junk in outer space measuring from one to ten centimetres. These junks may seem insignificant in size but are dangerous in outer space. The tiny speck of paint packs a wallop punch of a 550 pound object that travels to around 60 miles an hour. These objects can caused major damage to an aircraft’s vital equipment like solar cells, tether, or can create more debris during impact. Collisions with larger pieces of debris can cause more damage and disable a spacecraft, like what happened to the French spacecraft in 1996. Smaller debris can even threaten astronauts during spacewalk – hence, these debris are being monitored closely by agencies like the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC). A meter telescope, radar system, and a satellite system are used in sites like the Canary Islands, Germany, and on ESA’s International Space aircraft’s vital Cleaning up the Outer Space In recent years, a number of space organizations have studied way of cleaning up the debris that are still in orbit. What are studied are the challenges faced by the organizati... ... middle of paper ... ...space. There are actual collisions that happens from one to two times a year between active space satellites and space debris. There are random acts of God that that sometimes wreak havoc on the satellites and nobody can do anything about that. Part of the present plans of the different world agencies at the moment, is to track down space debris and prevent them from colliding with operational satellites. An avalanche of collisions could destroy all satellites if a clean-up operation is not put in place soonest. If there is a collision, more debris would be created that could make the outer space uninhabitable for satellites, for hundred of years. This scenario is a real threat, and could be catastrophic should it happen.Hence, accurately tracking orbiting materials and preventing an avalanche of colliding debris can stop the big problem from getting bigger.
Asteroids are tiny, airless rocky worlds orbiting around the sun and most of them are too small to be called planets, yet, some asteroids are too big too not to be acknowledged and are known as planetoids or minor planets. The mass asteroids are puny but despite their size, asteroids can be deadly. The earth has been hit by many asteroids in the past and can potentially be hit by some again. That's one reason why scientists study asteroids and find ways to avoid them from hitting us or at least predict if they are coming.
When we made it to space there was space junk and there was lots of it. It is everywhere and we couldn’t see anything because our windows were covered with junk. So we had to go outside with our space suits to get rid of the junk. It took a long time but we managed. After that, there was more space junk and it got in our engines. Our engine is full of it and then the main engine failed so we only had the jet engine and the backup engine.
Pete, an astronaut on the shuttle Atlantis, is speaking via satellite radio to NASA’s executive director, Dan Truman. Pete is completing maintenance on a satellite when it is struck by several small meteorites. Atlantis, Pete, and the Satellite are all destroyed by the meteorites. As Truman gives
The Space Race improved our knowledge of space. When the United States successfully launched their first satellite, Explorer 1, on January 1, 1958, it carried a small payload that informed us on the magnetic radiation belts around the Earth (Garber). This gave us a small and raw amount of information but it gave us information to study. This also helped motivate us and our curiosity of space to get us to strive further and find more info. When the race started in 1957 following the successful launch of Sputnik, the US wanted to be a part of it and wanted to be better and wanted to prove it. With the launch of Explorer 1, they were able to prove that it was better than Sputnik because Explorer 1 actually provided us with information, whereas Sputnik just made a constant, meaningless beeping sound as it orbited our Earth. This h...
October 4, 1957: The Russia launched Sputnik into space. Thus began the seemingly-eternal battle for control of space exploration. Who would get the first man into space; to the Moon, to Mars? Everything that could be done by either country was being done to give the edge. It soon became obvious to all that neither country was going to back down from the challenge. However, a lot has changed since 1957, governments have slumped, privatized exploration has taken charge. . . what happened? Where is space exploration going? Where is the human race, today?
On its first day in orbit NASA engineers came to the conclusion that the foam debris that hit the left wing might have caused severe damage to the shuttle and could prevent it from a safe reentry.
Launius, Roger D. "Sputnik and the Origins of the Space Age." 1997. NASA. Accessed 2 Apr. 2003. < a href="http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/sputnik/sputorig.html>
The space race was the product of the Cold War. It was an effort to prove technological superiority but on the other hand, it was also feared on both sides that weapons of mass destruction will be placed in orbit. In 1957, the Soviet Union sent the 184 pound Sputnik 1 satellite into Earth’s orbit. It was the first artificial satellite and the first manmade object to be placed into Earth’s orbit. Following that, they also sent the first animal into space, Laika the dog. In 1958, the United Sates also launched their first satellite into orbit, dubbed Explorer 1. The Soviet space program advanced once again in 1959. The Soviet Union launched Luna 2, which was the first space probe to hit the moon. In April 1961, the Soviet Union had the ultimate success, sending the first human into space. The name of the Russian cosmonaut was Yuri Gagarin, who made a 108 minute suborbital flight in a Vostok 1 spacecraft. One month after that, Alan Shepard became the American in space aboard the Freedom 7 spacecraft. Continuing from there, each nation step...
In order to avoid being hit by space debris, scientists developed the collision avoidance technique. They are also looking for ways to remove the debris from Earth's orbit. Most importantly, tracking these objects is key to solving all the problems. The amount of space junk accumulates daily due to the high volume of junk-to-junk collisions.
----------. Space 2000: Meeting the Challenge of a New Era. New York: Plenum Press, 1987.
When considering this topic, one might ask themselves why explore space? We explore space to compare other planets with the earth and to study the sun, to explore the universe while finding if intelligent life exists, for satellites to improve communications, weather forecasting, navigation, resource monitoring, and “to create a focal point for a new intellectual renaissance” (Ruzic).
People have been venturing out into the universe for many years now. In addition to satellites, both women and men astronauts have traveled into space to collect data about the universe. The first human being, the first animal, and the first spacecraft in orbit, were all achievements of the Soviet Union.
TVS and telephones are using satellites, and I thought it would be a good idea
...official policy of the U.S. has been to minimize the creation of new orbital debris. The most recent National Space Policy in 2010 “addresses the importance of preserving the space environment, including orbital debris mitigation. NASA and the Department of Defense are also directed to pursue research and development of technologies and techniques to mitigate and remove on-orbit debris, reduce hazards, and increase the understanding of the current and future debris environment” (ESA, 2013). Further efforts have been made through NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) located in the U.S., to keep tabs on any piece of debris that classifies as the size of a softball or larger. In closing, there are steps and precautions that can be made when approaching the subject of Space Junk, and like Kessler, all can share in the reassurance that time will heal itself.