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Decluttering low-Earth orbit: It's time to tidy up space

economist.com

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Re: Decluttering low-Earth orbit: It's time to tidy up space

#131

Post by Delk »

simonh wrote: post #49
sandworm101 wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your father's satellite is very high (1400km, 1000km above the ISS) at the edge of what is classified as low earth orbit. It will be up there for a long while but the chance of it ever hitting anything is infinitesimal.

Infinitesimal over 100,000 years? I'm not losing any sleep over it personally, but that's a long time.

That's true, but the chances of quite a lot of things happening over 100,000 years are fairly big.

Almost everything we do carries a small but non-zero risk of something which, if you stretched it over a hundred thousand years, would almost certainly be realized.

On the other hand, the average damage from a collision in space within 100,000 years is also pretty small.

Re: Decluttering low-Earth orbit: It's time to tidy up space

#132

Post by AlanSE »

m4rtink wrote: post #77
AlanSE wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was extremely good for its time. For instance, the creators asked scientists to estimate the efficiency of solar panels at the time, and computed the area needed for the space stations they drew. Truly incredible that they went to these lengths. Nonetheless, it is very dated. Fusion power looks a lot worse today than it did back in 2003. The fusion-powered space Jovian exploration ship would be right at home in to…

There was massive amount of in space infrastructure and lots of people. Even though they did space mining there is no way they would be able to put all that in place without RLVs. IIRC they even show them a couple times, basically big NASP like SSTO aerospaceplanes. They also have regular transcontinental flights going through space, even though its IIRC not clear if its sub orbital ballistic trajectories or FOBS lik…

The opening of PlanetES is actually funny. They show a ton of historic rockets, even suggesting a progression over time, but then it hardly makes it to the then-present day of 2003. It's like "over time, rockets got bigger, and then question mark".

Re: Decluttering low-Earth orbit: It's time to tidy up space

#133

Post by tromac »

tomhoward wrote: post #17

Fun fact: A hobby satellite my father helped build as a way to justify procrastinating during university in the late 60s is now low Earth orbit space junk. He says he's rather embarrassed to have learned, post launch, that it would likely remain in orbit for 100,000 years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australis-OSCAR_5 http://centralblue.williamsfoundation.org.au/oscar-5-the-fir... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj…

Small world. I got to know the A05 guys really well when I put together a new team at UniMelb to do the same thing a few years ago. Even got some cringeworthy lines in this documentary with them.

https://vimeo.com/191605076

Re: Decluttering low-Earth orbit: It's time to tidy up space

#134

Post by immmmmm »

dmckeon wrote: post #128
hoseja wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't need to get rid of all those 8km/s. Just enough to drop down into the atmosphere, the rest is a shooting star.

Remote propulsion by ablation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_broom

yes, that's the only system that makes sense to me for small objects. with a good international policy that prevents ppl from missiles at satellites to show power and, maybe, also one that prevent ppl to put any crap in LEO now it has got that cheap..

Re: Decluttering low-Earth orbit: It's time to tidy up space

#135

Post by etothepii »

psyc wrote: post #118
etothepii wrote: post #114

When I worked in insurance I'd often discuss satellite debris with our Head of Space. I'd always be told, this isn't something to worry about, since she makes bets on this stuff for a living (admittedly with other peoples money) I'll assume she's right.

Genuinely curious: the insurance industry worries about space?

Yeah my firm has a "Head of Space" definitely the best title in the company bar none. Space premium not our biggest line by any stretch, but the Specialty Re guys write a bit and the team at Lloyd's write quite a lot.

Insurance is a fascinating industry ripe for digital innovation. However, sadly, the deals are primarily written based on the quality of your relationships.

Re: Decluttering low-Earth orbit: It's time to tidy up space

#136

Post by 4ggr0 »

Triv888 wrote: post #83
4ggr0 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What on earth...I did not know that there are sooo many thing floating around near us. Absolutely crazy.

In this visualization, they probably look a lot larger then they are in reality...

Fair point :)
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