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Space Junk

Since the inception of the space program human beings have been launching satellites and other vehicles into space. The advancement in technology is a huge step for our species. Unfortunately it has unfavorable consequences. With every piece of equipment that is launched into space with a specific purpose, there are many other items that are left in orbit around earth. All of these objects (commonly referred to as space junk) are now orbiting around the earth creating a cloud of trash, with each piece traveling nearly 22,000 miles per hour. Space junk, which ranges from tiny paint flecks to bulky decommissioned satellites and used rocket stages, is reaching a breaking point. After half a century of assuming that low-Earth orbit could handle limitless waste, NASA has  recently realize d that the current density of space junk is high enough for collisions to start becoming inevitable, with each crash potentially creating hundreds of new objects to worry about (Mann). This scenario, originally theorized by astrophysicist Donald Kessler back in 1978, means that spacecraft entering low-Earth orbit would have to fear running into space junk that could puncture their hulls. Two years ago, a communications satellite collided with an inoperable Russian spacecraft in the first major satellite on satellite collision (Iannotta). The United States Strategic Command (USSC), as well as the Air Force Academy's Center for Space Situational Awareness Research (CSSAR) are responsible for tracking each piece of space debris. Tools at their disposal include RADAR as well as LIDAR. This however, only allows them to pinpoint pieces with a cross section of 1 centimeters in diameter or larger. According to the CSSAR, as of 2009 there were approximately 500,000 particles between 1 and 10 cm and the number of particles smaller than 1 cm probably exceeds tens of millions. As of right now there are no easy solutions to this problem. Currently NASA is doing their best to track and categorize the debris, as far as the actual removal the most promising solution is a laser broom. The laser broom was developed in the late 1990’s and scheduled to launch in 2003. However, numerous international agreements, forbid the testing of powerful lasers in orbit, this caused the program to be limited to using the laser as a measurement device. In the end, the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster led to the project being postponed The Laser Broom was designed as a space-based laser to melt the front surface off of debris and thereby produce a rocket-like thrust that would slowed the object. With a continued application the debris will eventually decrease their altitude enough to become subject to atmospheric drag (Phillips). In conclusion, we are at the precipice of a new time of space travel. In the next few decades there will be an increase of commercial space companies. These civilian companies will use the same technology that NASA has been using since the 1960’s (Ball). This will result in more debris orbiting the earth. Right now NASA has set an unsustainable precedent with the way it’s handled this situation. It’s been looked at as problem that will cost too much to solve with current technology. However, if something isn’t done about it, there will literally be a cloud of trash surrounding the Earth. This growing cloud of space junk is a hazard to spaceflight, and will only get worse as large pieces of debris collide and fragment; preventing any kind of safe orbiting. I, for one, would hate to see the progress of projects like deep space exploration impeded by the fact that we can’t safely leave our own orbit.

** Works Cited **

Ball, Julie. "BBC News - Nasa Future 'in Commercial Space Travel'" BBC - Homepage. 5 May 2011. Web. 27 Nov. 2011. .

Iannotta, Becky. "U.S. Satellite Destroyed in Space Collision | Space.com." Space, NASA Information & News | Outer Space Flight Videos & Pictures | Astronomy, Solar System Images | Space.com. 11 Feb. 2009. Web. 27 Nov. 2011. .

Mann, Adam. "Space Junk Crisis: Time to Bring in the Lasers | Wired Science | Wired.com." Wired.com. 26 Oct. 2011. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. .

Phipps, C.R., G. Albrecht, H. Friedman, D. Gavel, E.V. George, J. Murray, C. Ho, W. Priedhorsky, M.M. Michaelis, and J.P. Reilly. "ORION: Clearing Near-Earth Space Debris Using a 20-kW, 530-nm, Earth-based, Repetitively Pulsed Laser." //Laser and Particle Beams// 14.01 (1996): 1. Print.