Orbital debris is all sorts of materials that are human made and these objects are orbiting around the earth’s orbit but are no longer usable1. In other words, Orbital debris, also known as Space debris are all sorts of waste materials in space, which are in a state where various problems can trigger. Researchers and scientists are all concerned about the impacts these debris can leave and they are trying to determine any sorts of solution that may destroy the orbital debris causing no harms on the earth’s surface. This research paper primarily focuses on, the total number of orbital debris for years, the causes and problems due to the space junks and solutions to get rid of those waste space materials.
Analyzing the number of satellites
To analyze the number of satellites sent into the space by humans, let’s consider figure – 1. Figure – 1 shows the numbers of satellites sent every year from 1957 to 2014. In Figure – 1, LEO represents Lower Earth Orbit, MEO represents Medium Earth Orbit, GEO represents Geostationary Orbit and there are other space satellites indicated by the orange color3. According to the graph, it can be stated that most of the satellites were sent in the lower orbit of the earth. Starting from year 1957 to 2014, there were 7417 satellites that were sent in space2. From 1965 to 1978, the number of satellites sent in outer space was fairly constant2. In this time period, the maximum number of satellites sent is 177 in the year 1978, and minimum number is 138 in the year 19742. The maximum number of satellites 230 was sent in the year 1984 and this is the highest number of spacecraft sent in the space till now2. During 1979 to 1985, the spacecraft number increased rapidly2. However, from 1986 till 1996, the nu...
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.../geostationary-satellites.html
http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&sid=f42dfd80-b8d9-4caa-9028-6ebf2a4955ad%40sessionmgr110&hid=126&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=mih&AN=46710886
http://illumin.usc.edu/printer/16/the-impact-of-orbital-debris/
http://images.gizmag.com/hero/space-debris-kessler-syndrome-nasa-debrisat.jpg
http://www.tethers.com/OrbitalDebris.html
http://swfound.org/space-sustainability-101/the-persistent-problem-of-orbital-debris/
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01762/hi-space-junk0_1762594b.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7eqPGBfKVw
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/news/5-high-tech-space-junk-solutions#slide-5
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-desch/space-debris-demands-a-global-approach_b_4880546.html
The Soviet’s were responsible for putting man on the moon, rovers on Mars, and launching the Hubble Space Telescope. Indeed, it was the United States’ foes that drove the U.S. to accomplish perhaps the greatest feats of the twentieth century. Following the defeat of Germany and Japan in World War II, tensions between former allies, the United States and the Soviet Union, began to grow. In the following decades, the two superpowers would duke it out in competitions and tremendous shows of nationalism. They formed unmatchable rivalries in politics, economics, sciences, and sports. These rivalries would become clear when two countries competed in the space race, a competition between the U.S. and the Soviet Union concerning achievements in the field of space exploration. The Soviet’s took the early lead as they put the first satellite, Sputnik 1, into space. The launch of Sputnik 1 established a sense of fear into the American Public, resulting in the creation of NASA in the late 1950’s which opened the door for space exploration today and for future generations.
The cold war by the late 1950s had weaved into the everyday life of society for both countries. The announcement from the US that they will launch a satellite into orbit was challenged by the Soviets. On October 4th 1957, the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. This was the world’s first artificial satellite and man-made object to be in earths orbit. The launch was unexpected to the US, having caught them off guard. As a result Sputnik began to raise fears amongst the public, fearing the possible event of a nuclear attack, due to previous cold war
NSSS states a few current trends in space as being “congested and contested” (NSSS, 8), which is shaping our space strategic environment as well as fueling debates for space weapons. “Congested” trend refers to the current “60 nations and government consortia that own and operate satellites and the expectation to have 9000 satellite communication transponders in orbit by 2015.
Space trash is any discarded object in space that is harmful to every living being on earth. Since the nineteen-fifties we have been launching items into space. With our hopes and dreams in hand we hoped for the best but that is not what happened at all. There are millions upon millions upon millions of space junk in space. Now there is no possible way to get rid of all the debris, but with the cooperation of all nations we can help to stop the spread of this debris once and for all. Space leaders are in danger of all the harmful objects we have put into space. Space trash comes in many different forms which cause danger to current and future explorations in space.
During the 1950’s and the 1960’s the “space race” was a huge dispute between the U.S and Russia. The U.S and Russia had a competition to see who was capable to earn more achievement involving space. This competition was called the “space race”. In 1957 Russia sent the first artificial satellite “ Sputnik” into space gaining the lead in the “space race”. About four years later on April 12,
The Space Race is remarkably similar to that of the arms race because of the parallel between the creation of the atomic bomb and the goal of reaching the moon. The United States’ bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki effectively established its place as the technologically superior nation; however, major milestones in space achieved early by the Soviets damaged America’s reputation. In 1957, Soviet scientists shocked the world by successfully launching the Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, beyond the Kármán Line (the boundary of space). This amazing breakthrough “rattled American self-confidence. It cast doubts on America’s vaunted scientific superiority and raised some sobering military questions.” This blow to national pride along with the fear that the Soviets could potentially launch ICBMs from space led to “Rocket fever”. The sudden wave of nationalism and the desire to build a space program worthier to that of the Soviet Union led to the...
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...
It is within man’s blood and nature to explore, and space is our next New World. Man’s first achievement in space travel was the launch of the Sputnik on October 4, 1957. For the next decades, space travel was roaring like a rocket, fueled by man’s desire to explore, man’s desire for knowledge, and man’s desire to beat his enemies. However, these impulses have died out as the well of government funding has been diverted to wars and debts, and the interest of the American people has been diverted to wars and debts. Amidst all these issues it is debated as to whether or not space travel is worth the money and the attention of scientists, particularly since humanity faces so many issues on earth currently. However, because of the past inventions, current services, and future benefits, space travel is indeed worth the money and attention of governments and people. It is within our hands to control man’s advancement, and space travel is the next venue to do so.
Space debris: the accumulation and collection of trash left in orbit. Space debris is also referred to as space junk, space waste, orbital junk, orbital debris, and space trash. Space junk consists of nonfunctional satellites, old pieces of spacecraft, bits and pieces of booster rockets, lost equipment, and other pieces of garbage. Subsequently, space debris is put into several categories, including but not limited too large and small as well as high and altitudes. All the space debris travels all throughout Earth's orbit.
According to NASA, more than 500,000 pieces of debris, or “space junk,” are tracked as they orbit the Earth- just hundreds of miles above us. Space junk-which is also known by the names space and orbital debris, are made up of a mixture of natural (meteorites) and man-made materials that no longer serves a further purpose or function.
Satellites were a very important part of the Space Race and are still very important today. There are different functions for each satellite. Some are for television networks while others can save lives and predict the weather. Satellites are used every day to help with navigation and positioning systems. Over two thousand five hundred satellites have been sent into space and around one thousand are still operational.
First, as one would guess, satellites are launched into orbit. There are several types of orbit for satellites to follow but the main three are Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), and Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO). Satellites in a Low Earth Orbit are 100-300 miles above the earth's surface, and it must travel around 17,500 mph, circling the planet in about 10 minutes, to avoid gravity pulling them back to earth. In a Medium Earth Orbit, a satellite is 6,00012,000 miles above the earth and will circle the planet 4 to 6 hours. The Geosynchronous Orbit is a bit more complex, this orbit is 22,282 miles above the earth.
The modern day space environment is no longer a mystery to humans. Yuri Gagarin of Russia was the first person to experience space adventure in 1961. Since then, technological advances have enabled space exploration, with new discoveries being made from time to time. Scientists have significantly contributed to the development of space tourism. Noteworthy inventions by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have transformed human life through increasing accessibility to space. The agency has made it possible for astronauts to go to the moon and also to walk around planet Mars with robotic automobiles. The invention of the tri-axis control design has had a significant influence on modern space explorations, helping astronauts to effectively focus their satellites on the target. This has been important in increasing efficiency and precision in astronomical discoveries (Birchard, 2003).
We have benefitted our world by using satellite technology to preform tasks and provide a range of innovated services. The main applications of satellites are in the fields of communication, Earth Remote Sensing, weather, and scientific research. In some ways the use of satellites has made our world smaller. Satellites make it possible to establish a connection between two people that are on opposite ends of the globe via a telephone call or the use of the internet. Each of these satellites have many parts, but two parts are common to all satellites are called the payload and the bus. These groups of devices make the satellite capable of accomplishing their tasks.