Maya Khandekar- Space Junk

Image result for space junk    



 
 
     As Americans, we dispose of 254 million tons of trash per year (equivalent to more than 1 million whales). To accommodate this large disposal of trash in the US, there are more than 2,000 landfills in the US that are at their full capacity. But what about all the trash floating around earth’s orbit? Over the years as we launch more and more objects into space, there has been a build-up of “space junk” that is in our earth’s orbit. Space Junk refers to small pieces of orbital debris such as abandoned spacecrafts and satellites, rocket launch fuel, and small flecks of paint from launched items that damage other objects that orbit the earth. As the world keeps launching more objects in space every year, we are not “cleaning up” the trash left behind in the earth’s orbit leading to 95% of all objects in orbit to be dead satellites or pieces of inactive material. Currently, there are more than 20,000 pieces of debris larger than a softball and 500,000 pieces of debris the size of a marble. And some small debris cannot be tracked as it is so small, but the damage these pieces can cause is extreme. Pieces of debris can travel up to 17,500 mph and are fast enough to create enough damage to active objects orbiting the earth.



"Damage to the Space Shuttle Endeavour from a collision with piece of space debris or a micrometeorite.Credit: NASA"
     
   
     The problem with Space Junk is that these small pieces of debris can cause major destruction of satellites, the ISS, space shuttles, and astronauts. No matter how small the debris may be, the damage can be major since the debris travels at such great speed. This debris can break exterior surfaces and ruin the object in a whole. Other bigger objects that collide with alive technologies can cause these expensive objects to break and be destroyed and no longer able to be used. Other items in earth’s orbit such as rocket launch fuel containers can cause explosions to occur when this fuel collides with other objects at fast speeds. Explosions can result in the destruction of man-made technologies that are used for research or other purposes. The damage from Space Junk on astronauts can be very fatal, as the suits used by astronauts are not protective enough to protect people from these objects. Since these objects travel more than 17,500 mph they can penetrate the suit and hurt people in space.Image result for space junk
 

 
     In order to reduce the Space Junk that orbits our earth, China took action in 2007 by trying to destroy the dead satellites, but their attempt backfired and by destroying the debris, few thousand more pieces of junk were in earth’s orbit which also made it harder to track these smaller pieces. Space agencies are trying to solve the problem in our orbit by creating satellites that can burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, or by creating satellites that can travel higher to less crowded orbits. This action is vital to reduce the amount of Space Junk in the planet’s orbital as Space Junk increases the chances of new technologies that are launched in the air of being destroyed. Without any action in removing Space Junk, it would be hard to launch more object into space. Although our actions as students in the community cannot do much to help the problem of Space Junk we can help support these agencies that are trying to help the issue since Space Junk can hinder further research by destroying new space technologies that can help our scientists learn more about the universe and our planet. This Space Junk can also lead to destroyed satellites which can take away communication, military needs, and GPS, which is vital for our modern society.


Questions:
How can Space Junk affect our daily life?
What other ways can new technology in space have a negative consequence?


Resources:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/news/orbital_debris.html
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-06170-1
https://science.howstuffworks.com/space-junk2.htm
https://www.saveonenergy.com/land-of-waste/
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/us-landfills-are-filling-up/
http://news.mit.edu/2017/space-junk-shards-teflon-0619
https://quarkmag.com/is-space-junk-a-problem-67e865f702a9

Comments

Anonymous said…
This was an interesting read. I never knew what an impact space debris could have on our everyday lives! Sadly, it is estimated that there are 166 million man made objects floating in space which can directly disrupt human’s lives. Modern life amenities such as the GPS, cellphones, and television could be disrupted as well as ongoing scientific research in space with the addition of more debris into the atmosphere. Additionally, space junk may also interfere with weather forecasts, making it necessary for countries to do their best to prevent more debris from accumulating in the atmosphere.
February 8, 2019 at 7:56 PM
Anonymous said…
This post is very informational! The effects of space junk is unfathomable. It is crazy how such a small object can reach up to 17500 miles per hour. Upon further research I found that this space junk not only affects our satellites, but the earth's atmosphere as well. Space junk re entering the atmosphere can affect the ozone. As the object plows through the stratosphere a shockwave is produced that causes nitric oxide, this is a known cause of ozone depletion. The space metals melt and form chemicals which directly and indirectly consume the ozone. Without ozone we will be receiving more UV rays, and also experience abnormal weather. The space junk need to be fixed, if not this could lead to greater global warming.
February 8, 2019 at 8:18 PM
Anonymous said…
I had no idea that there was this much debris floating around in space. It just goes to show how extensive the environmental impact of humans is. I never would have thought that pollution caused by human activity could extend into space, and it is clear that this space debris is a setback for launched satellites as well as astronauts. Upon further research I found that this debris may reach such a great density in the future that it could hinder our ability to use weather satellites and monitor weather changes in the atmosphere.
February 9, 2019 at 11:06 AM
Anonymous said…
It’s so fascinating that humans have had an effect on space, even though it is so far away. I found that there are now many universities and aerospace companies that have begun testing technologies that could address the growing problem of space junk. On Sept. 16, scientists with the consortium successfully tested a net designed to snag orbiting debris and drag it down into Earth’s atmosphere, where it would burn up harmlessly.
February 9, 2019 at 12:31 PM
Anonymous said…
The fact that there is so much debris surrounding our planet is astonishing. I always figured that there would natrually be some debris from human activity, but I had no idea that it was to this extent. I looked up how various nations were trying to solve the space junk problem, and I found that in 2016, NASA confirmed a mission to launch a satellite that would collect space junk, and in June 2018, they launched thr satellite. The process is slow but awareness of the problem is the first step in finding a solution, much like the similar problem with trash piles in the ocean.
February 10, 2019 at 6:59 AM
Anonymous said…
This was a really insightful post (I really liked your introduction and transition to talking about space debris)! It's frightening to think that such small pieces of space junk could have such a detrimental effect. Since we as students cannot particularly do much to help with this problem, I agree with Neel that awareness of the problem is likely the most effective solution that we can contribute to. If large organizations such as NASA are well aware of the problem, then pressure from the public could implore them to find a solution. If we continue to allow this issue to exist, the problem could seriously affect future projects.
February 10, 2019 at 11:55 AM
Anonymous said…
Trash seems to be a very expansive problem on this planet. I never knew that we have the equivalent to more than 1 million whales worth of trash in space, all due to anthropogenic causes. It’s frightening to think that a marble sized piece of debris can do so much damage to machines and the astronauts. I researched a little bit about this problem and turns out the amount of junk that’s in space is projected to triple by 2030 (as of 2011) if no one finds a viable solution. There doesn’t seem to be many solutions to this problem, but the more awareness we have of this problem, the better. The more people know about the issue, the more they will think about it, which could lead action to find a solution.
February 10, 2019 at 12:41 PM
Anonymous said…
Humanity has conquered all frontiers except for one: space. Increased research, investment, and exploring space is inevitable, therefore space pollution is a pressing issue. Small pieces of debris and defunct equipment crash into existing satellites and space equipment to form even more pieces of debris. In 2009, for instance, a $50 million communication satellite was destroyed by a defunct Russian satellite. According to a team of Japanese researchers, the solution is crazy but simple: create a laser cannon that will fire at small pieces of debris from the earth. The cannon doesn’t need to destroy the debris, it needs to rather vaporize part of it in order to disturb its orbit and fall to the earth.
February 10, 2019 at 4:07 PM
Anonymous said…
You make some good suggestions on how to combat this problem of the great magnitude of garbage in space. With so much garbage in outer space, astronauts have a much more dangerous task, as they may be hit by the debris traveling at speeds of 17,500 mph. Also, satellites are at an increased risk of being damaged and unable to collect the data we need to learn more about our solar system and others. Beyond having scientific and economic impacts, the large amount of garbage in space means that there is so much garbage on Earth that we had to get rid of some of it. We need to do like you said and become aware of the problem and live in ways that do not produce as much garbage by doing small things such as using reusable bags and buying groceries in bulk.
February 11, 2019 at 5:24 AM
Anonymous said…
Ignorance to such important issue, such as outer space pollution, can result in devastating effects not just within our environment(Earth), but also in outer space, where abundant resources and endless opportunities are present. The mass of space junk can eventually lead to possible damages to the surface of earth, if the size of the mass grows and becomes dense enough to penetrate the different layers of the Earth atmosphere. Outside of Earth, space junk can interfere with much of the human instruments that are sent away for research purposes, which will most likely slow down our process of space research. In order to prevent and stop such consequences, we collectively have to reinforce the idea that space can grow to become a valuable resource to our species and must come up with a clear solution against the growing amount of space junk.
February 11, 2019 at 6:14 AM
Anonymous said…
I found this comment very intriguing! To think that we could create a laser cannon in order to fight this issue is something that brings up many other question. Such as if we are in the point where we have to find ways to destroy the extra debris in space, there is most likely many other issues that pop up from the space debris including all those mentioned in this comment as well as this post. Perhaps when we build these satellites and space technology, it would be wise to think of the future of those materials and what could happen to them once we are done using them.
February 11, 2019 at 6:36 AM
Anonymous said…
I agree, it is almost unbelievable how human activity has impacted also the everything, from marine and land environments, to that of space. I was not aware the extent of human waste and debris in space. Humans can work to reduce this problem with extending more care towards maintaining materials of space work, satellites, and machinery without releasing trash into the universe.
February 11, 2019 at 7:47 AM
Anonymous said…
Wow, what an informative post! I didn’t realize space junk had such an impact on other earth-orbiting objects, such as the International Space Station or other satellites. In fact, its becoming more and more common that engineers have to track the path of space junk in order to maneuver satellites and other — often expensive — objects in space out the way of hurtling space junk. If scientists don’t take the effort neccessary right now to lessen the impact of space junk, the future could be unthinkable, as more uncontrolled space crashes could make enough debris to make the space and atmosphere near the Earth almost unusable. Even minuscule objects can create massive damage to space crafts and satellites because of orbital speeds
February 11, 2019 at 8:47 AM
Anonymous said…
As you pointed out, dealing with space junk is hard and expensive, probably even more so than dealing with the trash that already covers the surface now. Launching a single vessel into space costs an already high amount of money in the first place, and to make a dent into this permanent impact we’ve already made we’d have to send many more, while investing more money into the technology to do so. Hopefully, the amount of space junk doesn’t increase to the point that it hinders or crushes our ability to begin interplanetary exploration when the time comes.
February 11, 2019 at 9:28 AM
Anonymous said…
Unfortunately, this is something our generation will have to work to fix. There are many simulations of just how many pieces of junk there are in many planetariums and the like. It is astounding, and solutions at the moment are little if not zero. And, if not bad enough, some companies are trying to get ads to fly in the air and beyond. More space trash is likely, and solutions are what our generations minds need to come up with.
February 11, 2019 at 7:35 PM
Anonymous said…
This issue is way too overlooked, and it is the duty of our generation to be the people who stop polluting space, and perhaps, find a way to reverse our ancestors’ past actions... An interesting infographic I found online from NASA scientist James Mason depicts and describes a possible way to slow rapidly-drifting space junk by using an earth-based laser. They share the example that to de-orbit an object of about 11 pounds, they could shine a laser beam of 5-10 kilowatts on it for 2 hours. Though it is a pretty “far-out” idea, it could certainly be a solution to our space pollution epidemic.
February 12, 2019 at 7:23 AM
Anonymous said…
With almost half a million pieces of debris cluttering the Earth's orbit, it is important to get rid of derelict satellites and other space junk. One proposed solution is the e.DeOrbit mission, which would seek out satellite debris in a polar orbit at an altitude between 800 and 1,000 kilometers (500 to 620 miles). Additionally, the European Space Agency is considering several kinds of "capture mechanisms" to pick up the debris, such as nets, harpoons, robotic arms and tentacles. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency proposes using an electrodynamic tether whose current would slow down the speed of satellites or space debris. Slowing the satellite speed would make it gradually fall closer to Earth, where it will burn up. These solutions and more show prominence in reducing space debris.
February 12, 2019 at 1:12 PM
Anonymous said…
This was a very educational post. I had no idea that space had become so polluted. I think the issue that arises with new technology, is that no one really knows how it will perform in the conditions of a crowded atmosphere. However, in order to continue improving life, scientists must take this factor into consideration as they continue to conquer the final frontier in more sustainable ways.
February 12, 2019 at 1:40 PM
Anonymous said…
This was such an interesting post! When I read the opening sentence about the 254 million tons of trash disposed per year by Americans, frankly, I was not surprised. However, what did shock me was the massive amount of debris floating around in space. It is hard to imagine that the smallest nail can deal an overwhelming amount of damage to expensive technologies orbiting the Earth or potentially injure astronauts, let alone hundreds of thousands more of space debris. This issue must be addressed as quickly as possible, since the increasing amount of space debris could potentially hinder further human knowledge and exploration of space, and interfere with space beyond Earth’s orbit.
February 12, 2019 at 7:44 PM
Anonymous said…
This is a really interesting post! We do so much in space, but we rarely mention the side-effects of out interstellar efforts. Space junk is something that we should know about but never quite realize is there. Unless we make efforts now to stop creating space junk and start cleaning it up, at some point the whole sky might be riddled, maybe even covered, with junk. Unfortunately, cleaning up will not be easy, given the mentioned example of China’s efforts yielding more junk. High-speed trash will likely punch through whatever collection-vessel we try and hang up there, so perhaps the a good option would be to try and combust and/or vaporize the trash in some manner.
February 14, 2019 at 9:58 AM
Anonymous said…
It's amazing how differently we have to treat things we take for granted here when they are up in space. The pieces of plastic I throw away after opening a package have the potential to destroy entire satellites. Even though it makes sense, I think it is difficult for us to imagine the consequences of something so small in an environment that we can’t personally see. It’s just baffling that trash like this can have such drastic, direct consequences. It’s hard to predict other ways that new technology can have negative consequences, but I can guess that new technologies will always use more energy and create more waste that must be expelled into space. Increasing the amount of space junk simply seems to me like a risk that we shouldn’t be taking.
February 14, 2019 at 9:37 PM
Anonymous said…
I knew us Americans produced a lot of waste, but I had no idea we produced up to 254 million tons of trash per year. I also had no idea as to how this waste effects space. No one really talks about to problems that trash in space may cause and how it may effect earth.
February 15, 2019 at 6:11 AM
Anonymous said…
I never knew this was an actual issue. The fact that thousands of pieces of debris orbiting around the earth at the speed of bullets is mind boggling. If we continue at this rate, we will create a wall of debris around the Earth. Would this prevent further space explorations? After I read this, I thought to myself: how would we even go about fixing this issue. How do you catching thousands of pieces of metal going 17,500 miles per hour?!
February 15, 2019 at 6:31 AM
Anonymous said…
Its very cool reminder that the things that we do have more effect than we can imagine. The fact that universe is so big yet the smallest thing has a major effect on the things that we send into space. It debris is not the only thing that has a major impact on the atmosphere of the Earth. Rocket fuel emission are also a major concern. Upon further research, I learned that because of the distances that the fuel is emitted from of the surface of the earth and into the atmosphere, it has a more direct impact. By pollution straight into areas like the ozone layer, the damage done is much faster.
February 15, 2019 at 8:07 AM
Anonymous said…
This post was very informative, throughout our education, we often learn about pollution in regards to the air and water. However, learning about how human activities also have an impact on space is extremely surprising. This debris in space can have major harms. For example, it can hinder future space exploration, and this can potentially have harmful impacts upon future generations. Moreover, the debris also makes it tough in some scenarios to use satellites, harming day to day activity. More work needs to be done to fix this issue, since metal going at 17,500 mph is simply unfathomable.
February 15, 2019 at 9:40 PM
Anonymous said…
This post was very interesting and surprising! I knew that the environmental impact of humans was growing, but I never realized that it was large enough to reach space. We are constantly sending out satellites and other recording devices, I guess their components have to end up somewhere ultimately. I did some additional research to see the potential future ramification of this issue. If we do not reform the material and biodegradability of satellites, they may prevent us from accurately recording and monitoring weather.
February 15, 2019 at 10:37 PM
Anonymous said…
Wow this was truly a very informative post! I was really shocked to learn that so much trash is disposed into space each year. I feel that space junk can impact our lives in many different ways. First, space junk can interfere with many satellites that are important to many research facilities. The density of the space junk may become so great that it could interfere with our ability to use weather satellites, and thus to watch weather changes caused by our own pollution. In order to prevent this, many nations have issued regulations with limit the amount of trash that is released into space.
February 17, 2019 at 10:47 PM
Anonymous said…
It’s crazy how much we have orbiting our planet at the moment. Looking at the stars on a clear night does not give off the impression that the sky is cluttered with junk. I wonder how this problem will impact future space trave (like the travels to Mars). It is sad that efforts to reduce the clutter has backfired, and it is a scary prospect that some of our technology is at risk because of a few bits and bobs floating in the upper atmosphere.
February 20, 2019 at 8:26 AM
Anonymous said…
I had no idea that this was an issue. It is surprising to see how far humans can negatively impact such as space. The issue of space debris serves as a reminder that we have a greater impact than what we initially think. I did a little of research and learned that the vast majority of the space junk is made up of parts of dead or inactive satellites. This shows that as we progress with new technologies, this leads to more new problems to arise. In the future scientists should aim to explore space in more sustainable ways so the space junk problem is not made worse.
February 22, 2019 at 7:42 PM
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