Slashdot Mirror


NASA: Top 10 Space Junk Missions (networkworld.com)

coondoggie writes: NASA' s Orbital Debris Program Office said that by far the source of the greatest amount of orbital debris remains the Fengyun-1C spacecraft, which was the target of a People's Republic of China anti-satellite test in January 2007. Much more debris is now floating around Earth's atmosphere since the six years NASA last looked at the top 10 space junk missions. The space agency says that 10 missions out of the 5,160 space missions that have launched since 1957 account for approximately one-third of all cataloged objects now in Earth orbit. NASA said that the second and fourth most significant satellite breakups are Cosmos 2251 and Iridium 33 spacecraft, which were involved in the first ever accidental satellite collision February 2009.

29 of 68 comments (clear)

  1. Planetes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    We need the Toybox.

    Maybe somebody should go ahead and start building it?

    1. Re:Planetes by wiggles · · Score: 1

      Came here for the Planetes references. Was not disappointed.

  2. An Army Of Laser Magnet Drones by zenlessyank · · Score: 1

    That was easy. Next question please.

  3. Space debris by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 2

    Ah yes, space debris, another problem that's easy to create and practically fucking impossible to fix.

    --
    Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    1. Re:Space debris by vux984 · · Score: 1

      I was under the impression that we're not really THAT far from a workable laser solution; at least technologically.

    2. Re:Space debris by Dutch+Gun · · Score: 4, Insightful

      This is something that giant killer lasers can totally fix. We should also deploy them in space, and create an advanced AI to autonomously control them, so it can clean up the skies for us.

      What could possibly go wrong?

      --
      Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
    3. Re:Space debris by Big+Hairy+Ian · · Score: 5, Funny

      This is something that giant killer lasers can totally fix. We should also deploy them in space, and create an advanced AI to autonomously control them, so it can clean up the skies for us.

      What could possibly go wrong?

      There's an implementation issue. The sharks tend to die in the vacuum of space

      --

      Build a Man a Fire, and He'll Be Warm for a Day. Set a Man on Fire, and He'll Be Warm for the Rest of His Life.

    4. Re:Space debris by Catmeat · · Score: 1

      It is something the lasers for the t Starshot projec could be used for. When they're not pushing micro-probes towards Alpha Centuri.

    5. Re:Space debris by Dutch+Gun · · Score: 1

      Where's your "can do" attitude? Obviously, this is where genetics engineering steps in.

      I'm a big-picture guy. I'll leave it to others to figure out all the trivial details. My work here is done.

      --
      Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
  4. It was a message by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 3, Interesting

    When the Chinese used their ASAT weapon to destroy their own satellite, sending a huge cloud of debris in orbit, they were sending a message. Did anyone get it? What do you think the message was? I didn't see any discussion of this but it came through loud and clear.

    The message was, don't fuck with us or we'll destroy your satellites and we don't give a shit how much space debris it creates. Since you are far more dependent on your satellites than we are on ours, you suffer much more in this scenario. If giving China an advantage means screwing up low earth orbit for hundreds of years, then so be it. You have the power to avoid this scenario by not putting us in a position where we feel threatened enough to use our ASAT weapons.

    It's just weird seeing a government do things like this, in its own interest. Being an American, I just assume that my own government is going to regard its own country as best as an annoyance and at worst the enemy, and its real goals are global and trans-national. I assume a lot of Europeans feel the same way. It baffles me, seeing a government pursue goals that benefit its own country and not everyone else. I just don't have any frame of reference to compare it to.

    --
    Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    1. Re:It was a message by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      > It's just weird seeing a government do things like this, in its own interest. Being an American, I just assume that my own government is going to regard its own country as best as an annoyance and at worst the enemy, and its real goals are global and trans-national. I assume a lot of Europeans feel the same way. It baffles me, seeing a government pursue goals that benefit its own country and not everyone else. I just don't have any frame of reference to compare it to.

      I hope you're being ironic / cynical; though these days we can never be sure...

      > It baffles me, seeing a government pursue goals that benefit its own country and not everyone else. I just don't have any frame of reference to compare it to.

      You know, that would be funny weren't it sad.

    2. Re:It was a message by tsotha · · Score: 1

      When the Chinese used their ASAT weapon to destroy their own satellite, sending a huge cloud of debris in orbit, they were sending a message. Did anyone get it? What do you think the message was? I didn't see any discussion of this but it came through loud and clear. The message was, don't fuck with us or we'll destroy your satellites and we don't give a shit how much space debris it creates.

      I don't know who you hang out with, but the first part was pretty obvious to everyone. The second part... meh. I doubt they even considered it.

  5. Re:good news, bad news by Brett+Buck · · Score: 1

    SpaceX did what, now? Launch some rockets successfully? What have the done about space junk?

  6. Like the message the US send in 1985? by thesupraman · · Score: 4, Informative

    Perhaps similar to the time in 1985 when America used ITS ASAT missile to hit the P78-1 SOLWIND satellite, resulting in a need for additional anti-collision design for the ISS?

    FWIW the FY1C was 750kg, the SOLWIND was 850kg.. so they should have had rather similar debris clouds..

    Or, perhaps it is somehow different? After all, when the US did it, no one else had... Perhaps being first makes it better?

    1. Re: Like the message the US send in 1985? by WindBourne · · Score: 5, Informative

      Quite the difference though. China's sat was destroyed at 530 miles up, and created over 2000 trackable sized items ( with more than 150,000 debris item). Assuming no cleanup by China, then in 100 years there will still be debris.
      OTOH, solwind was shot at 326 miles up, and created 285 trackable parts. All of that was gone by 2008.
      Quite the difference. Also if you think that iss put up shielding due to solwnd, then you are kidding yourself. Plenty of other junk up there.

      --
      I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
    2. Re:Like the message the US send in 1985? by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      America above all nations is highly dependent on satellites. LEO contamination by a space war would be disastrous for America, much less so for every other nation on the planet. Nice despite my saying this explicitly, you immediately went for the "blame America" angle while failing to mention the Chinese at all.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    3. Re: Like the message the US send in 1985? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      So trying to play word games.
      You clearly try and point the finger at china as somehow being at fault here, but want to absolve the us from doing the exact same thing, only much earlier.
      The fact is the Americans started this particular game, and to then point the finger at others playing catch-up is at best childish.
      Or does American view of itself as the world police absolve it from responsibility?

      I suggest the rest of the world would not share your views.

  7. Take-back obligation... by UweEmmrich-Kießling · · Score: 3, Insightful

    He who puts things in the orbit should be obliged to remove it from there if no longer needed or defunct...

  8. Be nice to see national totals by WindBourne · · Score: 1

    Based on top 10, China has the most with over 3000 trackable items, Russia has 1600, while America has 1200. But, I would bet that if we looked at total national numbers, most likely #1 would be Russia followed by China, America, and then Europe.

    --
    I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
  9. Re: Damn Chinese and Americans by WindBourne · · Score: 1

    Look at the numbers. It is China, then Russia, then America. Of course that is only from top 10.

    --
    I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
  10. Re:good news, bad news by Plus1Entropy · · Score: 1

    a megashitton (aka kilofuckload)

    Metric or imperial?

    --
    Only crack the nuts that crack. You don't put the ones that don't crack in the sack.
  11. Should be obligatory viewing/reading by palemantle · · Score: 1

    Someone somewhere needs to make Planetes obligatory material for space agency personnel somewhere.

    FWIW, Planetes is a hard science manga/anime that talks about the problems associated with space debris and the issues faced by people trying to fix said problems.

  12. Re:good news, bad news by srl100 · · Score: 1

    a megashitton (aka kilofuckload)

    Metric or imperial?

    Base 2 or base 10 ?

  13. ground control to david letterman by Pseudonymous+Powers · · Score: 1

    "And now, from the home office in Sioux City Iowa, the Top 10 Junkiest Space Missions:"

    "10: Pinata 11"

    "9: The International Space Dumpster"

    ...etc.

  14. Re:good news, bad news by sconeu · · Score: 1

    Duh. Base 10. Otherwise it would be a mebishitton an kibifuckload.

    --
    General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
  15. Accidental? by dkman · · Score: 1

    which were involved in the first ever accidental satellite collision February 2009.

    That begs the question, "How many satellite collisions have been on purpose?"

    --
    I refuse to sign
  16. Re:good news, bad news by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 1

    i'm sorry, were the prefixes not making it obvious or are you always this much of a fuckwit? ;)

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  17. Re:good news, bad news by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 1

    your ignorance isn't an excuse to comment and yet you have anyway.

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  18. Re:good news, bad news by Plus1Entropy · · Score: 1

    :(

    --
    Only crack the nuts that crack. You don't put the ones that don't crack in the sack.