Introduction

As soon as aerospace technology was invented and more people began to fly into the heavens, there needed to be a way to keep track of all the things that were flying around.

This is how space junk came to be. It's basically anything that has been left in orbit and falls back down to Earth - satellites, spent boosters, parts from old spaceships, etc. All this stuff starts to add up as more objects are lost out in space. Thankfully, astronomers are figuring out new ways to solve this problem!

What is space junk?

Space junk is often defined as any man-made object in space that no longer serves a useful purpose.

This includes everything from spent rocket stages and defunct satellites to fragments from collisions and paint flakes.

As of September 2016, there were an estimated 5,000 tons of space junk orbiting Earth, at speeds up to 17,500 mph.

The risk posed by space junk has been increasing as the amount of debris in orbit has grown. There are now more than 500,000 pieces of debris larger than a centimetre in size, and millions of smaller pieces that can't be tracked. These objects travel at incredibly high speeds and even a small piece can cause serious damage to spacecraft or satellites. In 2009, a U.S. Iridium satellite was hit by a piece of Russian space Junk , causing it to break apart and create hundreds of new pieces of debris.

Types of space debris

According to the ESA, space debris include:

● Payload: these are mainly satellites. This includes fragments produced by wear and tear and collisions.

● Rockets: remains of stages used to propel missions in orbit. This also includes fragments produced by wear and tear and collisions.

● Mission-related objects: for example, dropped tools, screws, cables, cameras, etc.

CAUSES OF SPACE DEBRIS

What causes space waste? There are numerous causes:

1. Defunct satellites Satellites have a limited useful life and, when their batteries are spent or they break down, they are left drifting about in space. At the beginning of the space race, it was assumed that sooner or later these abandoned objects would fall to earth and would burn up on re-entry. However, and particularly at higher orbits, this may never happen.

2. Missing equipment Astronauts sometimes drop tools or other objects during space walks. In 2008, for example, astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper dropped a box of tools. This disintegrated when it entered the Earth's atmosphere almost a year later, after orbiting the Earth more than 4,000 times.

3. Rocket stages Some rocket stages are discarded in low orbits and fall to Earth shortly after takeoff. However, the higher ones are left drifting in space and sometimes explode because they contain the remains of fuel. These explosions create thousands of fragments.

4. Weapons Both the United States and the Soviet Union began to conduct tests with anti-satellite weapons in the sixties and seventies. In 1985, for example, the United States destroyed a one-ton satellite (Solwind) with one of these weapons. Similar missions of this type were carried out in later years by other countries including China and India.

What are the benefits of space junk?

- The vast majority of space junk is composed of dead satellites and spent rocket stages. However, there are a few well-publicized pieces of space junk, such as the dented hubcap from a wheel that broke off the Hubble Space Telescope in 2009.

- In addition to providing information about the environment and solar system, space junk can also be used for research and exploration. It can help scientists learn about the effects of long-term exposure to space, which is important for future manned missions. Additionally, some pieces of space junk contain valuable materials that can be recycled or reused.

- Ultimately, the benefits of space junk depend on what it is composed of and how it is used. While some people see it as litter or a nuisance, others believe it has great potential for scientific advancement.

- There are several potential benefits that could come from space junk. It could be used as a resource for future missions. For example, abandoned spacecraft could be salvaged for parts or fuel. Space Junk could also be used to create artificial structures like solar power stations.

- Another benefit of space junk is that it can help us study our planet and its environment. By tracking the movement of debris, we can learn about atmospheric drag and other factors that affect satellite orbits. Space junk can also be used as target practice for anti-satellite weapons systems.

- Apart from this, Let's get into a deep imagination and think what if we have an alien attack in the next 10 years? Then this debris will protect our earth by surrounding its boundaries. Well this is an imagination a few researchers think of. But if it comes true then how lucky we would be by being protected for at least some time.

Growing Space debris and the actions

The International Space Station (ISS) has had to take evasive action on multiple occasions to avoid being hit by space debris. In 2009, a satellite collision created approximately 2,000 new pieces of debris, and in 2013, another collision added another 800 pieces to the tally. The ISS isn't the only spacecraft that has been put at risk by space junk; in 2014, a European Space Agency (ESA) satellite was hit by a piece of debris, causing it to lose control and spin out of orbit.

As the problem of space junk continues to grow, so too does the need for a solution. One proposed solution is to create a 'space dump' where all unwanted materials could be deposited. However, this would require an international agreement to be put in place, as well as a way to fund the project.

How is the global community currently dealing with space debris?

The US Air Force is a sort of space debris librarian

The US Air Force has been on top of the space debris problem since the early 1980s. In fact, they have a specialized team dedicated to cataloging and documenting the issue. As of 2016, they had cataloged over 200,000 items that were about the size of a small ball and those roughly 500,000 items we mentioned that are the size of a regular marble.

When it comes to the smaller space debris, the US Air Force is getting a little help…

The Space Fence project

Lockheed Martin is working to complete a digital radar system that could wrap around the Earth like a fence, allowing the US Air Force to log even more debris using optical sensors and an intensified wavelength frequency. This honed tracking would allow smaller objects to be followed more accurately while allowing researchers to predict their future movement. This is a huge help when there is a need to get important things like astronauts, live satellites, and the ISS out of harm’s way.

Remote-controlled astronauts

The European Space Agency (ESA) is testing the idea of taking the human component out of a spacewalk. Their proposed alternative is a remote-controlled robot named Justin. Justin would replace the astronaut as a physical presence outside of their manned vehicle without replacing their needed skill set. To make sure that the astronaut still maintains fully hands-on, Justin’s tactile movements would be felt through electronic sensors placed in a glove worn by the remote astronaut operator.

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