Space Junk and Collisions thread

[caltrek]

The UK's ODIN Space Just Aced its 1st Space Junk Tracking System Test in Orbit
by Josh Dinner
July 4, 2023

Introduction:

(Space.com) A new method of tracking tiny pieces of space junk has passed its first demonstration test in orbit, according to its builders ODIN Space of London.

Over the past two years, ODIN has been developing and qualifying technology to detect and track space junk that is too small to register using existing methods. The company's first demonstration sensor was integrated into the D-Orbit ION satellite, which hitched a ride to orbit as part of SpaceX's Transporter-8 mission that launched June 12.

Now, after more than a week on orbit, ODIN has confirmed with D-Orbit that their onboard sensor is operational, and picked up faint acoustic vibrations from its host satellite. For this demo flight, ODIN's debris sensor was set to an exceptionally high sensitivity, to ensure even the smallest of readings from the ION satellite could be detected.

Conclusion:

Now, ODIN plans to scale up the technology in order to bring the technology to the commercial market. Once operational, ODIN's sub-centimeter sensor will be able to track the size, location and, for the first time, the speed and trajectory of debris measuring as small as 1/250th of an inch (0.1 millimeters).

With this trajectory mapping, ODIN strives to build complex models of sub-centimeter debris to improve situational awareness for thousands of satellites in Earth orbit.

Read more here: https://www.space.com/odin-space-compl ... ing-demo

[wjfox]

US issues first ever fine for space junk to Dish Network

1 hour ago

The US government has issued its first ever fine to a company for leaving space junk orbiting the Earth.

The Federal Communications Commission fined Dish Network $150,000 (£125,000) for failing to move an old satellite far enough away from others in use.

The company admitted liability over its EchoStar-7 satellite and agreed to a "compliance plan" with the FCC.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66993647

[wjfox]

Over 1 million satellites could be headed to Earth orbit, and scientists are worried

Rwanda's 337,320-satellite constellation, Cinnamon-937, is the single largest megaconstellation on the books.

By Sharmila Kuthunur
published 4 days ago

Earth's lower orbit, already crowded with tens of thousands of satellites, may soon choke with many more, underscoring a need for stringent laws regarding the use of shared orbital space, according to new research.

More specifically, experts believe more than a million satellites are headed to low-Earth orbit. To arrive at that figure, researchers studied recent filings in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) database, which is a United Nations agency responsible for granting spaces in orbit for satellite use. To launch and operate satellite populations, nations are required to submit relevant information to the ITU.

The records show nations worldwide have proposed launching over a million satellites distributed across 300 "megaconstellations," which are vast networks of satellites that work together to provide internet services. The proposed satellites are 115 times higher than the number of functional satellites currently circling Earth, the new study finds.

"If even a portion of these million satellites are actually launched, national and international rules will be needed to address the associated sustainability challenges, like collision risks, light pollution, and reentry risks," Andrew Falle, a researcher at the University of British Columbia's Outer Space Institute and lead author of the new study, told Space.com.

https://www.space.com/million-satellite ... tudy-shows



Credit: ESA

[caltrek]

It is as if Earth became jealous of not having rings like Saturn, and so created humans to supply it with rings.

Just one or two instances (or maybe a half dozen) of a satellite exploding (or being kinetically destroyed) and all of these satellites (at least within a certain band width) will be turned into space junk. This will force the future satellites to be placed (or moved) into orbits that are well beyond the current bandwidth, hence the mechanism of ring construction. Any LGM (Little Green Men) watching all of this must be laughing their heads off.

[caltrek]

Sci-fi Inspired Tractor Beams Could Really Solve Space Junk Problem
by Harry Baker
November 5, 2023

Introduction:

(Space.com) Researchers are developing a real-life tractor beam, with the goal of pulling defunct satellites out of geostationary orbit to alleviate the space junk problem.

In science fiction films, nothing raises tension quite like the good guys' spaceship getting caught in an invisible tractor beam that allows the baddies to slowly reel them in. But what was once only a sci-fi staple could soon become a reality.

Scientists are developing a real-life tractor beam, dubbed an electrostatic tractor. This tractor beam wouldn't suck in helpless starship pilots, however. Instead, it would use electrostatic attraction to nudge hazardous space junk safely out of Earth orbit.

The stakes are high: With the commercial space industry booming, the number of satellites in Earth's orbit is forecast to rise sharply. This bonanza of new satellites will eventually wear out and turn the space around Earth into a giant junkyard of debris that could smash into working spacecraft, plummet to Earth, pollute our atmosphere with metals and obscure our view of the cosmos. And, if left unchecked, the growing space junk problem could hobble the booming space exploration industry, experts warn.

The electrostatic tractor beam could potentially alleviate that problem by safely moving dead satellites far out of Earth orbit, where they would drift harmlessly for eternity.

Read more here: https://www.space.com/sci-fi-inspired- ... ace-junk

[wjfox]

Why you'll be able to see a toolbox floating through space tonight

09:00, 21 NOV 2023

Look up to the skies on Tuesday night and you might be able to catch a glimpse from the UK of a stray tool bag that was dropped by astronauts on the International Space Station. Experts believe the bag will be shining so brightly it is almost possible to see it with the naked eye – but will be able to be picked up if you are using binoculars or a telescope.

Nasa astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O'Hara were carrying out essential maintenance work at the ISS earlier this month when they accidentally dropped the toolbox. It has remained in space orbiting a few minutes ahead of the ISS at around 17,000mph.

It is expected to fall back down through the atmosphere in the next few months. but in the meantime it could be visible from the UK on Tuesday night night. Manchester University astrophysicist Professor Albert Zijlstra said if the weather is clear then there is a good chance of seeing it with binoculars.

He told BBC Breakfast on Tuesday: "You should be able to see it across much of the UK if you know where to look. You are looking for a very faint spot that appears to be moving faster than an aeroplane. It will be moving from west to east and it will be visible around 6.45pm and only for two minutes.

"You will see the full space station tonight too four or five minutes after the bag. There is a very specific timeframe. It is completely white and it will burn off in the atmosphere in four or five months time."

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wale ... g-28143692

[caltrek]

Tracking Currently Undetectable Space Junk
December 4, 2023

Introduction:

(Eurekalert) Satellite and spacecraft operators may finally be able to detect small pieces of debris orbiting Earth using an approach proposed by researchers from the University of Michigan.

"Right now, we detect space debris by looking for objects that reflect light or radar signals," said Nilton Renno, the principal investigator from the University of Michigan team and a professor of climate and space sciences and engineering and aerospace engineering. "The smaller the objects get, the harder it becomes to get sunlight or radar signals strong enough to detect them from the ground."

Additional extract:

"When the cloud of charged gas and debris fragments expands, it creates lightning-like energy bursts, similar to signals produced by static sparks that appear after rubbing a freshly laundered blanket," said Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, an assistant research scientist in climate and space sciences and engineering, and a lead scientist on the project.

After this initial energy burst, charged solid pieces of debris fragments can create electric field pulses whenever they are close enough to each other, producing additional lightning-like bursts. These electric signals last for only a fraction of a second, but they could help track pieces of space debris and clouds of microscopic fragments that form when debris collides.

When two pieces of aluminum collide at typical orbital speeds, they emit an electrical burst strong enough for a 26-meter dish with a high-quality radio receiver to detect from the ground, according to the team's most recent computer simulations. The electric field pulses should similarly be detectable with more sensitive radio arrays, such as NASA's Deep Space Network.

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1009986

[wjfox]

Japan to launch world’s first wooden satellite to combat space pollution

Sat 17 Feb 2024 20.00 GMT

Japanese scientists have created one of the world’s most unusual spacecraft – a tiny satellite that is made of timber.

The LignoSat probe has been built of magnolia wood, which, in experiments carried out on the International Space Station (ISS), was found to be particularly stable and resistant to cracking. Now plans are being finalised for it to be launched on a US rocket this summer.

The timber satellite has been built by researchers at Kyoto University and the logging company Sumitomo Forestry in order to test the idea of using biodegradable materials such as wood to see if they can act as environmentally friendly alternatives to the metals from which all satellites are currently constructed.

“All the satellites which re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere burn and create tiny alumina particles, which will float in the upper atmosphere for many years,” Takao Doi, a Japanese astronaut and aerospace engineer with Kyoto University, warned recently. “Eventually, it will affect the environment of the Earth.”

To tackle the problem, Kyoto researchers set up a project to evaluate types of wood to determine how well they could withstand the rigours of space launch and lengthy flights in orbit round the Earth. The first tests were carried out in laboratories that recreated conditions in space, and wood samples were found to have suffered no measurable changes in mass or signs of decomposition or damage.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/202 ... -pollution



The wooden LignoSat satellite that will burn into ash when it re-enters the atmosphere [artist’s impression]. Photograph: Kyoto University

[weatheriscool]