The U.S. Air Force has upgraded its ability to predict possible satellite collisions, as the risk from space debris increases
By Jeremy Hsu Posted 11.04.2009 at 3:15 pm 11 Comments

Space Junk An artist's impression of space debris in low-Earth orbit. The U.S. government wants a better surveillance system to keep track of the thousands of space junk pieces. ESA

Satellites currently must dodge an ever-growing gauntlet of other satellites and clouds of space debris, and this year the Pentagon has quietly upgraded its surveillance accordingly. The U.S. military announced yesterday that it now tracks 800 maneuverable satellites, compared to less than 100 prior to a February collision between an active U.S. satellite and a retired Russian communications satellite.

That crash served as a wakeup call and emphasized the vulnerability of U.S. satellites, according to General Kevin Chilton, commander of U.S. Strategic Command. Reuters reports that the Air Force also plans to track an additional 500 non-maneuvering satellites by the end of year, and thereby keep tabs on the roughly 1,300 active satellites currently in orbit.

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Technology, Jeremy Hsu, air force, orbit, orbital cleanup, pentagon, satellites, Space, space debris, space junk
A new UK study also predicts that close orbital encounters with space debris will continue to grow by 50 percent over the next decade, and by 250 percent over the next 50 years. It estimates that satellite handlers may have to make five times as many collision-avoidance moves in 2059, compared to 2019. This will add significantly to the cost of future space flight, the study warns.

Even the space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station have had to make course adjustments to dodge pieces of space junk in recent years. The need for better surveillance led the U.S. Air Force to team up with three major aerospace companies, in an effort to develop an electronic fence that can track any orbital object larger than two inches in width.

Solutions for cleaning up the space debris don't come easily. A French aerospace engineer of the European company EADS plans to test an orbital shroud that can pull defunct satellites down to a fiery death, and mad science agency DARPA also seeks proposals for clearing space debris out of orbit.

11 Comments

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Igot1forya
11/04/09 at 3:40 pm

Sounds like we need a system to remove retired or damaged satellites. Need something to shot at with those top secret high powered lasers? I think we have a winner! :)

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Azorus
11/04/09 at 4:20 pm

While that might sound like a good idea you have a potential to turn one piece of space junk into hundreds of pieces of space junk.

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animemaster
11/04/09 at 6:08 pm

Otta require all new satellites and rocket segments to have redundant deorbiting capability so even after being damaged it can throw itself away.

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sirald66
11/04/09 at 6:34 pm

How about a space janitor in a rocket suit wielding a big butterfly net? :)

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Azorus
11/05/09 at 9:25 am

We should try and develope a missle program that works like harpons here. Instead of a missle that blows up it harpons the dead, or wonded space junk and throws it into a decaying orbit to burn up.

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HBillyRufus
11/05/09 at 11:17 am

Or a super-tough rammer satellite that would crash into the debris and deflect it down into the atmosphere.

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jessicowhite
11/05/09 at 11:36 am

We Should just hire "Mega Maid"!lol She's gone from suck to blow. Yea we do need something to get rid of all the junk up there.

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boarder8383
11/05/09 at 1:20 pm

We need my picture.

OH SAVE US BARF AND LONE STARR

lol

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lugger11
11/05/09 at 2:19 pm

What if the laser didn't blow up the satellites? What if all the laser did was gently "push" the satellite down in to a decaying orbit from a higher orbit? The force would come from the heat generated upon contact. It wouldn't be immediate, or fast, by any means. It might take years, and thousands of 'hits' over time, but would that work over time? Maybe it might work better on smaller pieces of junk than larger satellites, but even that would be a help. Just a thought.

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Brian H
06/25/10 at 7:33 am

Huge blocks of aerogel that sop up all the little pieces and readily fall into the atmosphere, due to their very large drag and light weight.



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