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Low Earth Orbit Junk Yard Nearly Full
vlado4 writes "The New York Times has up an article on the amount of space junk in Earth Orbit. According to NASA officials, the amount of stuff we've put into LEO is at critical levels. Additionally they have great graphics of the nearly 1000 new pieces resulting from testing the new Chinese anti-satellite weapon, as well as the damage to Hubble's solar array. The litter is now so bad that, even if space-faring nations refrained from further interference, collisions would continue to create more clutter just above our atmosphere. Space debris appear to be a difficult problem to deal with and may hinder future space exploration."
We'll just have the Chinese clear it out with their new laser death beam things.
I hereby claim ownership of the concept of the space zamboni.
Space debris appear to be a difficult problem to deal with and may hinder future space exploration.
Sure, but it also prevents stuff from comig in. Things like alien landers, etc. Or in an earth hostility only mode, it is a cheaper, and more effective, vresion of the Star Wars defense. Put more up there and let it shield us.
Launch a new ball of garbage into orbit to propel the old ball of garbage away from earth. It's foolproof.
All these debris collide with one another and create fine dust covering the earth. It will reflect just enough sunlight to reduce the amount of absorbed radiation to counter the global warming. What a great relief! Last momement reprieve, brought to you by Frank Merrywell.
sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
Hey, wait, I played Math Blaster -- I am ready for this .
Perhaps life really is full of possibilities.
Maybe it will become a new moon some day, and we could inhabit it, and create a new layer of orbiting junk
We've broken Space.
I guess we'll just have to go back to throwing our crap exclusively into the air and oceans. Last one to the beach with a six-pack is a rotten egg!
Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
NASA needs to cut a deal with Blizzard. Make each of the pieces of "space junk" an ultra-rare item in World of Warcraft that the players have to go and collect themselves.
The problem will be solved in 3 months.
It seems you missed the announcement, the space junk race has been canceled. While your actions are impressive, and as irresponsible as any superpower has ever been, there is no need to attempt to catch up with the US and the states formerly known as the Soviet Union.
You also might be interested to know that there has been a litany of terrestrial environmental mistakes made over the past century or so. While we recognize that it's you're right to fuck shit up on your own, we strongly suggest at least making an attempt to learn from mistakes already made.
In summary, we all remember our first beer too, but come on, it's time to grow up a bit.
Sincerely,
The World
Soon those saturn bastards will envy OUR ring!!
----------------------------
Esobofh - Currently drinking fresh mango juice.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
> how much is human waist?
Depending on the human, somewhere around around 32 inches.
Do daemons dream of electric sleep()?
All space software should now be written in a garbage-collected language.
Ceci n'est pas une signature.
Republican
{...ducks...}
A goal is a dream with a deadline
Does this make us the hillbilly's of the galaxy?
What's next, a space station on cinder blocks?
RonB
It is human nature to take shortcuts in thinking.
Now if only we could create some giant space vacuum...
I don't care why you're posting AC
Global warming. I burn all my garbage, vote republican and bought a fortress on a mountain.
The sooner I get rid of you guys the better.
Killing yourself is never the answer, killing everyone else is a better and less selfish solution.
Bah, it's hubris to think that mankind has put enough stuff in LEO to affect the entire orbital space.
Furthermore, what's to say that natural sources don't put more space junk in LEO than human processes?
And who cares if we've "filled up" LEO -- surely technological advances will enable us to deal with the complications as they arise.
And why should we (the US) have to bear the biggest burden of reducing the trash in LEO, when developing nations (those without a space program) get off scott free? It's not like we're the major contributor or anything.
Besides, the jury is still out... plenty of independent* scientists dispute the findings of this study, and we should take no action until there is consensus.
*Independent: funded by the "other side" of the interested parties
"Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
So you're saying the Shuttle will be up on blocks. OK. Wonder how much a really big Trans Am decal would cost?
I'd have a personalized plate on my car, but "toxic bachelor" won't fit into 7 letters.
From the article:
"During an eight year period ending in 2002, the solar panels on the Hubble Telescope were struck by space debris at least 725,000 times. Five thousand of these left crates and holes large enough to be seen by the naked eye."
Nope, not too high at all.
ClutterMe.com - easiest site creation on the Net. Just click and type.
An enormous low earth orbit marshmallow. And it will get toasted on re-entry!
It's not wasting time, I'm educating myself.
Oh my gosh... now you can combine a science degree with an environmental studies degree and get a PhD in Junk Science!
Do not mock my vision of impractical footwear
Weightless bitch-fighting.... hand me the beer and peanuts! Send 8 of 'em to space and they could make it into a survivor-style reality TV series.
Engineering is the art of compromise.