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| — | what_happens_to_dead_satellites_orbiting_the_earth 2009/02/02 13:19 current | ||
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| + | **What happens to all the satellites and other pieces of technology that are | ||
| + | left in space? Do they continue to orbit our plant, disintegrate or are | ||
| + | broken into small pieces, fall to or collide with other planets, or What? | ||
| + | Is this a problem to be considered in this millennium?** | ||
| + | ---- | ||
| + | The problem of space debris is a serious one. In the past, old | ||
| + | satellites, pieces of rockets, and astronaut trash were left in Earth | ||
| + | orbit. Things near the earth (within a few hundred miles) re-enter the | ||
| + | atmosphere fairly quickly (within a few years) because there is still a | ||
| + | little air to slow them down at these low orbits. | ||
| + | |||
| + | However, things in higher orbit remain in orbit forever. Anything with | ||
| + | motors on them tend to explode eventually, creating swarms on tiny debris. | ||
| + | Even dust from meteors can hit satellites, knocking off chips of paint. | ||
| + | Even a fleck of paint can do serious damage at 17,000 miles per hour! | ||
| + | |||
| + | These days, satellite manufacturers are becoming more conscious about | ||
| + | de-orbiting satellites when they are finished being used. The best | ||
| + | examples are the Iridium satellites, a series of satellites belonging to a | ||
| + | failed communications company. Rather than stranding the satellites in | ||
| + | space, Iridium and their partners are spending several million dollars to | ||
| + | de-orbit the satellites. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Problems still exist with existing trash, and various schemes have been | ||
| + | developed for finding ways to clean up space. In the meantime, radar is | ||
| + | used to locate larger pieces of space junk (sizes of nuts and bolts or | ||
| + | larger). The space shuttle must routinely make orbital corrections to | ||
| + | avoid such junk. The International Space Station recently announced that | ||
| + | the shielding on the newest Russian module is too thin, and that the | ||
| + | module has a 25% chance of being punctured by space debris during the life | ||
| + | of the space station. So, space trash is still a serious concern! | ||
| + | |||
| + | Thanks for writing! | ||
| + | |||
| + | Sincerely, | ||
| + | Kurtis Williams | ||