Space Crud Still Getting Worse!

So the movie Gravity didn't scare the crap right out of ya?  Well then check out yet another map of just how much junk is in orbit.  Every one of these dots is a potential accident just waiting to happen. 

This nightmarish obstacle course has NASA more than a bit worried (you have got to see the humor in that statement) in a recent report NASA suggested that models suggest that space debris has reached a critical level.  

Not everyone agrees with the assessment of the problem.  Hugh Lewis of Southampton University, UK has gone on record saying that Earth's belt of space waste has yet to pose a serious threat..... I think we can be a bit more upbeat, certainly if we are contemplating removing objects.

As the IO9 article points out that these technologies have yet to be fleshed out beyond the speculation period and will be decades before we see implementation. 

The first method should be reducing and eliminating any further increases in debris.   That and of itself is a difficult proposition at best.  But if something isn't started now then it is very likely in the very near future, space exploration may become almost impossible due to not being able to leave our own orbit because of space debris.

From the IO9 article:

• You can read more about the future of our relationship with space debris over at BBC News
• The USNRC Report, "Limiting Future Collision Risk to Spacecraft: An Assessment of NASA's
• Meteoroid and Orbital Debris Programs" is available here

Space Traffic Control?

Any long time reader will know that I have, on many occasions, mentioned the growing problem of N.E.O. space junk. The near space around Earth is quite literally swamped with all manner of space junk, from dead or dying satellites to deadly nuts, bolts and paint chips. The problem is truly enormous. There are 4000 large bodies being tracked now. Add to that 6000 large tractable debris and upwards of 200,000 non tracked objects larger than 1 centimeter thought to be in orbit. All traveling in excess of 17 thousand mph. One of the worst happened in 2007 when China tested an anti-sat system that created a cloud of junk that is thought to be the worst every in the history of space flight. Now experts in the field are saying "it's time for a space traffic management system". In fact, that very system is now being explored. A recent meeting brought together hundreds of aerospace safety experts from America, Europe, Russia, and China. The object is to get the ball rolling on a Space Situational Awareness or SSA. Click the link below to read more about the problems that the group faces and the ultimate goals they hope to achieve.

<- SAA meeting ->

Thanks to Shaun Saunders for the post

The Solar System's biggest junk yard

Each white dot represents an individual piece of tracked orbital debris. This image shows the Low Earth Orbit, which is the region from the Earth’s surface to 1,240 miles and contains the most space junk.

You remember when you read stories of gallant ship captains launching on a new mission into outer space? There was never any mention of watching out for garbage. But looking at the image above, the real adventure and danger is the first 1200 miles! Asteroid belt be damned - our own back yard is so choked with trash that it's a wonder we can sail anywhere!

I know that the average reader here understands the problem, but do we clearly understand the magnitude? There are tens of millions of pieces of rubbish there. Some of the pieces are rocks and dust from passing comets, but most of them are man-made and called “orbital debris”.

From the Science News article:

• There are some unusual things up there, like a camera that floated away from astronaut Sunita “Suni” Williams in December 2006. Other astronauts have lost tools like wrenches and screwdrivers. In 1965 astronaut Ed White even lost a spare glove. Most of the junk, however, comes from large satellites and rockets that fell apart after they stopped working.

• Together, all the space junk would weigh about 11 million pounds on Earth, or more than 3,000 cars. The largest piece is a part of a rocket about the size of a minivan.
  

And its all deadly. Have you seen this pic? A tiny fleck of paint struck and cracked one window of the space shuttle Challenger while it was in space in 1983.



And you would think that because we are aware of the problem it is under control and not worsening. Ha! In 2007, the space junkyard grew by more than 100,000 pieces. That’s more than any other year since people started launching satellites into space. I know I keep coming back to this subject. The truth is, that like cutting edge science, I truly feel that this is and will be grist for the speculative fiction mill. I am surprised that it hasn't played a part in some of the newest fiction to date. Not as glamorous yes, but every bit a part of dangerous spaceflight.

<- space news via boing boing ->

Sydney Bristow Beaming Up?

Read it, believe it, but it don't mean ya gota go see it! I love ST, I do, however casting and script ideas like this will assure that I won't be going to any new star trek movies.

J.J. Abrams has reportedly cast his Alias star Jennifer Garner as the love interest for Mr. Spock in the 11th Trek flick. Garner's real-life hubby, Ben Affleck, was at one time rumored to be a candidate to play Mr. Spock, with his BFF Matt Damon still, reportedly, the producers' first choice to fill the Enterprise-leading shoes of Capt. Kirk. And Moviehole.net reports that Gary Sinise and Adrien Brody are also still in negotiations to play McCoy and Spock, respectively, with production on the Christmas 2008 adventure......

I don't need to add more...you get the idea... If interested, click the article title and go where I didn't want to go anyway...ll&p