Space Debris



While on one hand astronomers are celebrating the cash cow of comet debris brought by Stardust spacecraft, some scientists are concerned with more than 9,000 pieces of space debris orbiting the Earth! Much of the debris results from explosions of satellites, especially old upper stages left in orbit with leftover fuel and high pressure fluids. It is a hazard that can only be expected to get worse in the next few years. And the worst part of it is that currently there’s no workable and economic way to clean up the mess.



According to a report by NASA scientists, J.-C. Liou and N. L. Johnson in the journal Science, the pieces of space junk measuring 4 inches or more total some 5,500 tons. The collection of debris would continue to grow with further space launches as items already in orbit collide and break into more pieces, Liou said. But eventually this is not going to happen. The risk is less for manned spaceflight, as the most debris-crowded area is between 550 miles and 625 miles above the Earth. But the junk can pose a risk to commercial and research flights and other space activities - and perhaps life on earth itself within a decade or two!



Via: Environmental News Network