28 Facts About Space debris

Space debris are defunct human-made objects in space—principally in Earth orbit—which no longer serve a useful function.

Space debris is typically a negative externality—it creates an external cost on others from the initial action to launch or use a spacecraft in near-Earth orbit—a cost that is typically not taken into account nor fully accounted for in the cost by the launcher or payload owner.

The measurement, mitigation, and potential removal of debris are conducted by some participants in the space industry.

Collisions with debris have become a hazard to spacecraft; the smallest objects cause damage akin to sandblasting, especially to solar panels and optics like telescopes or star trackers that cannot easily be protected by a ballistic shield.

Space debris began to accumulate in Earth orbit immediately with the first launch of an artificial satellite Sputnik 1 into orbit in October 1957.

Related searches

The collision Space debris pose less short-term risk than from an LEO collision, but the satellite would likely become inoperable.

Space debris includes a glove lost by astronaut Ed White on the first American space-walk, a camera lost by Michael Collins near Gemini 10, a thermal blanket lost during STS-88, garbage bags jettisoned by Soviet cosmonauts during Mir's 15-year life, a wrench, and a toothbrush.

Past debris source was the testing of anti-satellite weapons by the U S and Soviet Union during the 1960s and 1970s.

Since atmospheric drag is low at that altitude, the debris is slow to return to Earth, and in June 2007 NASA's Terra environmental spacecraft maneuvered to avoid impact from the debris.

Space debris stated that the operation, part of Mission Shakti, would defend the country's interests in space.

On 22 January 2013, BLITS was struck by Space debris suspected to be from the 2007 Chinese anti-satellite missile test, changing both its orbit and rotation rate.

For example, in January 2017, the European Space debris Agency made the decision to alter orbit of one of its three Swarm mission spacecraft, based on data from the US Joint Space debris Operations Center, to lower the risk of collision from Cosmos-375, a derelict Russian satellite.

One of the earliest events to publicize the Space debris problem occurred on Challenger's second flight, STS-7.

NASA 2005 study concluded that Space debris accounted for approximately half of the overall risk to the Shuttle.

On STS-118 in 2007 Space debris blew a bullet-like hole through Endeavours radiator panel.

In 2013, the ISS operations management did not make a maneuver to avoid any Space debris, after making a record four Space debris maneuvers the previous year.

Space debris further theorized that one implication if this were to occur is that the distribution of debris in orbit could render space activities and the use of satellites in specific orbital ranges economically impractical for many generations.

One such system is Space debris Infrastructure Servicing, a commercially developed refueling depot and service spacecraft for communications satellites in geosynchronous orbit scheduled for a 2015 launch.

In December 2019, the European Space Agency awarded the first contract to clean up space debris.

Laser broom uses a ground-based laser to ablate the front of the Space debris, producing a rocket-like thrust that slows the object.

Since 2012, the European Space Agency has been working on the design of a mission to remove large space debris from orbit.

However, the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space published voluntary guidelines in 2007, using a variety of earlier national regulatory attempts at developing standards for debris mitigation.

In 2002, the European Space debris Agency worked with an international group to promulgate a similar set of standards, with a "25-year rule" applying to most Earth-orbit satellites and upper stages.

Space debris agencies in Europe began to develop technical guidelines in the mid-1990s, and ASI, UKSA, CNES, DLR and ESA signed a "European Code of Conduct" in 2006, which was a predecessor standard to the ISO international standard work that would begin the following year.

The Space debris Data Association formed in 2009 is a non-governmental entity.

Related searches

The prevalence of orbital Space debris has been likened to the terrestrial environmental phenomenon of "sacrifice zones, " which are designated geographic regions with high levels of environmental degradation.

Issue of space debris has been raised as a mitigation challenge for missions around the Moon with the danger of increasing space debris around it.

In 2022, several elements of space debris were found on Mars, Perseverance's backshell was found on the surface of Jezero Crater, and a piece of a thermal blanket that may have come from the descent stage of the rover.