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.
During the twentieth century space race space debris was beginning to be placed into Earth's orbit. This was subsequently done by humans, appropriately after the launch of Sputnik, the first satellite launched into space. On June 3, 1965, Astronaut Edward Higgins White II made his début space walk. While outside the spacecraft, White's spare thermal glove escaped and floated away. It escaped through an open hatch of the spacecraft. The glove became one of many objects listed as early space debris. Similarly, Astronaut Suni Williams lost a camera in space. While she was in Earth's orbit repairing features on the International Space Station, her unattached from space suit & drifted away into space.
The uncontrolled space junk is becoming a greater problem than before. As well as the continuous growth of space junk in Earth's orbit, NASA scientists are in fear of the occurrence of catastrophic collisions. In order to avoid being hit by space debris, scientist developed the collision avoidance technique. They are also looking for ways to remove the debris 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...
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http://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/newsletter/pdfs/odqnv11i4.pdf
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.
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.
In 1957 the Soviets used a missile to launch a satellite, Sputnik 1, into orbit around the earth. The arms race then became a space race as the United States rushed to launch its own satellites, some for military purposes.
Throughout history, women have struggled to receive equal treatment, hidden behind the shadow of men and shoved aside based on their gender. During the 1960’s, this conflict was prominent, but the hardships for women of color went beyond the general difficulties. Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Dorothy Vaughan were a few of the many women who helped break the barrier of sexism and racism. Their honorable actions have created a ripple effect that continues to spread today—one which shows that women should never compromise for anything less than what they deserve. Sputnik I was the first human made contraption to leave the Earth's atmosphere. Launched by the USSR, Sputnik I was a satellite that helped determine the projection of radio
A successful space program is needed in America, and here’s why: we are losing our grip on the title of the world superpower and a new age of economics and politics is coming faster than we are prepared for. To be prepared for this new age we need the funds, which can be found in our space. The most deadly of those threats: asteroids. Don Yeoman, an employee at the Jet Propulsion Lab, a NASA facility, tracks over 600,000 asteroids every day.
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>
Asteroids can be found orbiting the Sun in a belt between Mars and Jupiter; this is called the Asteroid belt or Main belt. The asteroid belt has been said to probably contain millions of asteroids that are all different. There are more than 20,000 numbered asteroids. Some times asteroids get knocked off the asteroid belt. As asteroids revolve around the Sun in elliptical orbits, Jupiter’s gravity and getting to close to Mars or another asteroid can change an asteroids path, this could send an asteroid out of the asteroid belt and into space across the orbits of other planets. An example of asteroid orbits changing is Mar’s moons Phobos and Deimos. These were asteroids that went to close to Mars and got caught in its orbit.
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 Debris and Human Spacecraft." NASA. NASA, 27 Sept. 2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. .
----------. Space 2000: Meeting the Challenge of a New Era. New York: Plenum Press, 1987.
When considering this topic, one might ask themselves why explore space? We explore space to compare other planets with the earth and to study the sun, to explore the universe while finding if intelligent life exists, for satellites to improve communications, weather forecasting, navigation, resource monitoring, and “to create a focal point for a new intellectual renaissance” (Ruzic).
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. There are more than 20,000 pieces of debris larger than a softball orbiting the Earth. This debris can travel at speeds up to 17,500 mph. Even a relatively small piece of space debris can damage a satellite or a spacecraft at these speeds.
Space debris is the collection of useless objects in orbit around Earth. It includes all from erosion, spent rocket stages, old satellites, collisions, and fragments from disintegration. A large number of technical studies are currently developing concepts of active removal of space debris to protect space assets from on orbit collision. Since orbits overlap with new spacecraft therefore debris may collide with operational spacecraft.
According to NASA, more than 500,000 pieces of debris, or “space junk,” are tracked as they orbit the Earth- just hundreds of miles above us. Space junk-which is also known by the names space and orbital debris, are made up of a mixture of natural (meteorites) and man-made materials that no longer serves a further purpose or function.
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.