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.
Space junk, also known as orbital debris, comes in many different sizes, shapes and forms. It is separated in to two main parts – natural and artificial debris (Space 1). The natural debris is meteoroid and comet debris that was left behind (Space 1). Natural debris only revolves around the sun, so it is not heard or talked about on earth (Space 1). The artificial debris, known as man-made, sizes in from one centimeter to a whole rocket! The smallest kind which is smaller than a penny has over 100 trillion pieces floating around in space, such as flecks of paint (Dunbar 1). The next kind which is bigger than a penny but smaller than a softball has over 100,000 pieces, such as nuts and bolts (Dunbar 1). The biggest kind which is bigger than a softball has over 13,000 pieces, such as satellite pieces and entire satellites left in space (Dunbar 1). Most of the items in space were not put there but were created through explosions that created thousands of other pieces of debris. Most of the debris which is satellites has come from Russia (Plumber 1).
There ...
... middle of paper ...
...//science.howstuffworks.com/space-junk2.htm>.
Kovalenko, Natalya. "Space Junk Endangers Mankind's Usual Course of Life." The Voice of Russia. 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. .
Plumer, Brad. "Space Debris Is Getting out of Hand." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 01 Sept. 2011. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. .
Redd, Nola T. "Space and NASA News – Universe and Deep Space Information | Space.com." Space.com. Space.com, 08 Mar. 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. .
"Space Debris and Human Spacecraft." NASA. NASA, 27 Sept. 2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. .
Lind, Michael. "Why We Should Embrace the End of Human Spaceflight."Salon.com. N.p.: n.p., 2011. N. pag. Rpt. in NASA. Ed. Margaret Haerens. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.
Humankind produces and consumes with little regard for waste. Susan Strasser’s Waste and Want: A Social History of Trash focuses on consumption’s byproduct; trash and what humankind has done to dispose of their waste over the past decades. Strasser catalogues an often deemed unsophisticated part of our modern society as being “central to our lives yet generally silenced or ignore” (p.36), throughout her book elucidating on the premise that one’s own view and opinion of what is deemed as trash varies greatly from person to person. Strasser explicates to the reader the rise of mass markets across the world and the impacts that production and consumption have on the creation of trash. Strasser begins to follow the story of trash in the pre-colonial
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.
HALVORSON, TODD. "As uncertainty grows over future of U.S. human spaceflight, NASA workers grow anxious". Gannett News Service. 29 Jan 2010 eLibrary. Web. 18 Feb 2010.
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.
Since the historical launch of the first successful artificial satellite Sputnik on October 4th 1957 humanity has launched thousands of satellites into orbit above Earth. The prodigious use of Earth’s orbit has resulted in an important consequence, space debris. While currently most space debris does not pose a serious threat to Earth or operating space technology the planned increase of satellite launches as well as the continued accumulation of debris from current satellites will necessitate drastic action in order to ensure that Earth orbit technology remains viable. The ability of space debris to hinder further space exploration and travel is also a necessary obstacle to overcome in order for future investment in space technologies by global governments and private industries. Finally the valuable nature of components used in satellites, chiefly gold but also including other metals creates an important economic incentive for the reclamation and recycling of components found within the atmosphere. These factors lead to the logical conclusion that by the year 2025 a space debris reclamation project must begin in order to ensure the continuing advancement of current communication, navigation, defense, and scientific technologies.
"National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Marshall Space Flight Center." NEW FRONTIERS ::: JUNO. NASA, Web. 01 Apr. 2014. .
Human fascination with the stars is as ancient as Babylonians and has been suggested to be older than Stonehenge. From “be fruitful and multiply” to “live long and prosper,” the instinct to protect and propagate the species has manifested in religion, art, and the imaginations of countless individuals. As human understanding of space treks out of the fantastical and into the scientific, the realities of traveling through and living in space are becoming clearer. Exploring, investigating, and living in space pose an expansive series of problems. However, the solutions to the problems faced by mankind's desire to reach beyond the horizon, through the night sky, and into the stars are solutions that will help in all areas of life on Earth.
TheSpaceRace.com - Timeline of Space Exploration. (n.d.). TheSpaceRace.com - Timeline of Space Exploration. Retrieved April 27, 2014, from http://www.thespacerace.com/timeline/
(Source K) Flowers, Sarah. “Understanding: Space Travel.” Rev. of Understanding: Space Travel. PoQuest. N.p., Aug. 2000. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. .
Relating to the Audience: Of all the majors people are looking forward to in this classroom, there is not a single major that has not benefited from the space program. Thus it is important to analyze the most glaring threat this messiah of a program is facing.
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.
It is a wonder to marvel about how much debris man has created over the span of approximately 50 years. Sadly, this is nothing new on our planet. However, little is known, or at least in regards to public awareness, about the celestial landfill that man has created since the early days of the Space Race involving the Russian launching of Sputnik. Ever since then, the repercussions of the US versus Russia mechanized frenzy have snowballed into an estimated 6,600 satellites being launched, in addition to 1,000 that are still active now.
Space has always been a pivotal and utmost important subject for many years. In the past, scientists have made monumental advances in this field such as sending people into orbit and landing a man on the moon. Of course, this has only barely been explored and we still have a lot more to see of the ever-vast outer space. One of the most significant topics of all of science has only been touched and there’s still more to come.
By the third millennium, mankind is actively studying and exploring space. The number of space flights is increasing and they are constantly running into a number of problems. One of these is a question of the increasing contamination of space with objects from our explorations. These objects are better known as space debris or simply said – space junk.