This Week in Space (Audio)

TWiS 119: Junkyard in Space - The Dangers of Orbital Debris

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If you saw the movie "Gravity," you have a sense of the dangers of orbital debris—and the risk is very real. More than 25,000 objects over four inches in diameter are tracked by the US Space Force, and millions of others are smaller or untracked—everything from derelict satellites to dead rocket stages to bits of shrapnel and even just chunks of frozen rocket fuel is there. And even something the size and mass of a paint chip, traveling at orbital speeds, can take out a window of a spacecraft. We're joined by Dr. John Crassidis from the University of Buffalo, an expert in orbital debris and its dangers. Look out below; this is going to be a hot one!

Headlines:

  • SpaceX Falcon 9 launch failure investigation underway after engine explosion during upper stage relight
  • James Webb Space Telescope celebrates 2nd anniversary with new "Cosmic Penguin" image
  • Boeing Starliner return date still uncertain as NASA and Boeing review data

    • Mailbag:

    • Zaheer Mohammed congratulates the National Space Society's Ad Astra magazine on winning the Marcom Awards in 2023

      • Main Topic: Orbital Debris Discussion with Dr. John Crassidis

      • Orbital debris defined as anything in space that is no longer useful, ranging from paint flakes to rocket bodies
      • Debris moves at extremely high speeds (17,500 mph), making collisions highly destructive
      • Kessler Syndrome: cascading collisions could render low Earth orbit unusable within 50 years if debris growth is not slowed
      • Approximately 47,000 tracked objects softball-size or larger, with millions more smaller pieces
      • Challenges in tracking debris due to limited coverage, object tumbling, and modeling uncertainties
      • Ownership and responsibility for debris removal complicated by lack of international agreements
      • Current remediation techniques not feasible due to cost and technological limitations
      • Urgent need for debris mitigation through international cooperation and improved satellite design
      • Future threats extend beyond low Earth orbit, with debris already accumulating around the Moon
      • Importance of investing in research to develop effective debris removal technologies

        • Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

        Guest: Dr. John Crassidis

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