Russia opens space junk tracking post

nairnr writes "CNN has an article about a new space object tracking post in Tajikistan. The Russian military space forces on Thursday inaugurated an optical tracking facility located in the ex-Soviet republic of Tajikistan that is intended to monitor objects in space. The Okno (Window) complex, near the town of Nurek in central Tajikistan, is capable of tracking objects 40,000 kilometers (24,800 miles) from Earth, the space forces said in a statement carried by the Interfax-Military News Agency. According to the space forces, the Okno, which was put on test duty Thursday, offers a better range and precision than standard radar facilities. The report did not elaborate on how the Okno works"

Comments

Re:Just put up a sign.

[zer0vector]

It is immensely easier to point out the problem than to fix it in this case. The amount of energy to push stuff into the sun or rendezvous with it and bring it back to earth would be insane. Considering the varying orbits of the junk, and the limits of current space propulsion, it would require hundreds of missions to bring it all back, and each mission would probably create some junk of its own.