Space Junk

[Whippy]

What ideas can you come up with to eliminate space junk?

I've not really thought this out very much myself so have no ideas yet, but do want to think on it some ... do you have any possible answers?

 

[Zatnikitelman]

Possibly ionize it with a laser or something then grab it with a mag-field. Or just a ship with a really strong really large net or something.

 

[thomasantony]

There is also some concept in which you use laser ablation to remove space debris.

.... for space debris removal, in which the laser ablates material from debris particles in low Earth orbit, changing their orbits and causing them to reenter. ...

from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_propulsion

~
Thomas

 

[Urwumpe]

also planned are using large disks to clear LEO of debris or use satellites to remove other satellites from orbit into a graveyard orbit.

 

[thomasantony]

Maybe they can launch a big disc into retrograde orbit in the orbit of that Chinese satellite that was blasted to pieces.

~
Thomas

 

[Urwumpe]

Maybe they can launch a big disc into retrograde orbit in the orbit of that Chinese satellite that was blasted to pieces.

After some months, the fragments are spread over the whole planet in such an event, there is no longer a single orbit. You just have a new concentration of debris in an altitude range.

 

[Andy44]

It's like trying to catch an entire snowstorm, flake by flake. I don't see how any scheme would be practical, other than a change in policy, which minimizes debris starting from this point on. This practice is already in effect by most space agencies, including NASA, USAF, etc. Efforts are made to ensure upper stages do not remain in LEO and so forth. Over time, debris decays from orbit. The objective is to make the accumulation rate less than the decay rate. But you'll never completely eliminate it.

 

[Whippy]

I was trying to think of a way to send it towards the Sun, but can't come up with any way to gather it up... was thinking of a big magnet but am sure most of the debris is not magnetic.

 

[n0mad23]

Big disks of aerogel maneuvered by dragonflies. Pick them up piece by piece and scavenge everything!

I'll volunteer.

 

[Pilot7893]

I suggest we put a GIANT ball of gel up into orbit to sweep up all the debris, then send it into the sun

 

[reverend]

lets just bring the moon down for a couple orbits in LEO... that should take care of it.

 

[Pilot7893]

lets just bring the moon down for a couple orbits in LEO... that should take care of it.

Now THAT would be fun.

 

[Andy44]

Let's just blow out some candles and wish it all away. That would be just as effective, and cost much less.

 

[ijuin]

Realistically, anything that is below the Inner Van Allen Belt will deorbit on its own within a decade or so. Most space junk at that altitude is of a relatively recent vintage.

 

[YL3GDY]

IMO, the main question here is COST. If we want to shot every debris piece, we'll need a LOT of energy and time. And we can't even detect small junk (e.g. 10 cm in size), which is potentially dangerous, too.

If we want to put on orbit some big aerogelball or whatever, we even don't have launchers to boost it. And it will also cost a LOT.

Who would pay for it?

 

[Urwumpe]

And we can't even detect small junk (e.g. 10 cm in size), which is potentially dangerous, too.

Make it smaller. Below 1000 km, where the majority of the evil stuff is, the radar accuracy is <2 cm. In GSO, optical sensors can at least see 0.25m objects.

 

[pete.dakota]

I agree with Andy, here. We need to be pro-active in reducing FUTURE space-debris, rather than spending money and resources on bringing down what is already up there. It's about beating the curve. If, for every piece of space-debris that decays and de-orbits, mankind makes 0.9 more then we are making progress, FREE progress.

The key to getting rid of space junk is new worldwide rules and legislation making every effort to reduce the amount of crap we put in space from now on, and let the atmosphere take care of the rest.

 

[Andy44]

I read somewhere most government space agencies such as NASA, USAF, etc., already have rules mandating that upper stages and satellites at end-of-mission are de-orbited, or least a good-faith attempt has to be made. No one can blame you if you try and the hardware fails you. Commercial space operators may or may not behind the curve on this. I suspect that they have to follow some rules as well. It seems to me that the problem isn't U.S., Russia, or ESA these days so much as it's the new players in the space game, such as China. They are still in the "cold war stage" of space development and don't mind making lots of junk in exchange for prestige and political gain. Given time and some diplomacy, they'll see the benefits of reducing junk and come along, too. This isn't a show-stopping problem as long as we're thinking about it now.

 

[pete.dakota]

It seems to be the going trend with Spaceflight, and most engineering, really. No one realises that something is going to be a problem until it already is one.

 

[adamb193]

Just use a tractor beam, problem solved.