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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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
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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
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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...
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.
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>
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.
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...
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.
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.
Sixty-Five million years ago, 70 percent of life on Earth died. The most reasonable and possible reason this happened was an asteroid. An asteroid hit the Earth very hard, and in doing this, dirt and dust from the impact stayed in the air and it blocked out sunlight, that’s why the dinosaurs died. An asteroid is a rock from outer space. Asteroids have orbited the Sun along with the planets since the solar system formed about 4.6 billion years ago, but it’s only been 200 years since we first discovered them. Meteorites are small pieces of asteroids broken off on impact with other asteroids. Most meteorites are rusty brown on the outside, have rounded edges from melting as they go through Earth’s atmosphere, and contain iron. There are 3 different types of meteorites: stony, metallic, and stony metallic.92 percents of all asteroids are stone, 6 percent are made of iron and nickel, and the rest are a combination. Some meteorites also contain gold, copper, platinum, and carbon.
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.
According to A. Rossi (2011), since October 4, 1957, when the first satellite Sputnik-1 was launched by USSR, there have been more than 5000 launches with nearly 7000 payloads placed in orbit. Most of these spacecraft eventually reentered Earth’s atmosphere. Currently there are about 3500 satellites and probes orbiting the Earth together with about 1800 upper stages, i.e. parts of the rockets used to bring them to space. Of all these spacecraft only about 900 are operational and all of the rest are space debris. This population of satellites and rocket bodies’ account for about 99% of the debris orbiting the Earth are estimated to be around 5000 metric tons.
As such, this essay will argue that space exploration is a necessity of our kind and that NASA should be progressively more financed. To begin with, space research has helped bring several developments to modern science, affecting the quality of our everyday lives. With issues like climate change, and population overgrowth, our species faces the risks of major extinction (4). Climate change has been a man-made problem in recent years that threatens our planet. It will take huge mitigations from current and future societies to even come close to reversing climate change.
Space exploration can lead to the possibility to find useful resources throughout the galaxy for human gain. Many severe problems on earth could be solved through space exploration such as world hunger, overpopulation, and dwindling fuel sources. Things such as fuel could be harvested from planets for power generation and propulsion technology, and land to cultivate for growing food, as well as land for building living areas for the growing population. These potential resources...
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.
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).
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