"The woman is created for a man, not a man for a woman" - such a postulate ...
In May of this year, the particle of cosmic garbage fell into the Illuminator of the ISS. A piece of whether the paint is, or the metal size of the thousandth shares of the millimeter did not break through the glass through, as it is thicker and stronger than conventional glasses, but left a dent with a diameter of seven millimeters.
The dent on the porthole of the ISS. Photo: ESA / NASA
Vital compartments of the ISS stand against small fragments of cosmic garbage, but if the fragment is greater than 1 centimeter in the diameter, it will trigger protection. Behind the space trash in orbit is monitored from the ground, and in the threat of a collision of the station with a piece of garbage of the ISS maneuver to evaporate from it. NASA monitors the movement of space debris fragments in size from five centimeters in the diameter on a low orbit. According to estimates of the space agency, about 20 thousand fragments are flying around the Earth size with a tennis ball and about 500 thousand smaller pieces.
The Solar Panels of the World Station suffered not only because of the collision with the "Progress M-34" in 1997, but also because of the bombing of small space trash and micrometeorites. Photo: NASA / Crew of STS-91
Less grams of cosmic garbage kills satellite
Small garbage is not as dangerous for carefully protected ISS, but for an ordinary satellite can be fatal. On January 28, 2013, the Russian Scientific Nanospace Blits, launched in 2009, suddenly changed its orbit and speed of rotation. He collided with a fragment of cosmic garbage and fell apart. Since trash is moving with high speed - up to 8 km / s, then for the death of a 7.5-kilogram satellite, according to the calculations of scientists, it turned out to be enough fragment weighing only 0.017-0.019 grams.
Blitz satellite. Photo: Kelso, T. S. et al. Proceedings of the Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference, 2013
Where does garbage come from
The Earth's orbit is littered with "dead" satellites, spent steps of missiles and smaller garbage. Most of small garbage is formed when satellites explode (most frequent cause - engine breakdowns), faced with each other or become targets of antisipressive missiles.
The first collision in space happened in 1996, when the step of the European Rocket "Arian-1" faced the French satellite Cerise. The satellite suffered, but survived and continued to work. A more serious accident occurred in 2009, when the link satellite "Iridium" faced the military Russian satellite "Cosmos-2251", at that time no longer working. Both satellites scattered after Siberia somewhere.
Most of all, the Chinese people have nimused, which in 2007 shot down their own satellite when testing the antisupressive rocket, leaving more than 3,000 small fragments in orbit.
In addition, in the open space you can find pliers, camera, spatula and a whole bag with tools - they are in different time Lost the crew of the ISS. And until the urine processing system appeared at the station, it was simply poured into space, where it became part of the cosmic garbage in the form of small frozen crystals.
Cosmonaut Sunita Williams loses the camera in open space in 2007
Where the satellites leave
As long, the space trash remains in space, depends on the height of the orbit. At low orbit, cosmic garbage, obeying the attraction of the Earth, eventually burns in the atmosphere. The part flies to the Earth, but so far there were no cases so that they hurt someone very much.
The most famous case of the fall of the cosmic garbage on a living person occurred in Oklahoma: a piece of cosmic garbage weighing with an empty bank from under the cola hit a woman on behalf of Lottie Williams. The fragment was similar to the fabric, but from metal fibers. The woman was sure that I caught a piece of a falling star, but the investigation showed that it was most likely the part of Delta-2 launch vehicle. Williams this version disappointed.
The satellites, which are at a higher geostanism orbit to take away to the low, so that they are in the end burned, so they, on the contrary, are raised above - on the so-called burial orbit, where they can remain centuries. In order for the orbit, the explosions did not occur in which the debris can get closer to the ground, the satellites are discharged before the burial of the batteries, produce compressed gas reserves and reset fuel. This can reduce the further toasting the orbit of the Earth, but the problems of the existing garbage does not decide.
Space garbage in orbit, 1957-2016
Hunting garbage
In 2023, for cleaning in orbit, the European Space Agency plans to launch the E.DeorBit apparatus. As he will capture the garbage, while it is unknown: scientists consider the network, harpoon or clamp. After the capture, the device will take away the garbage from the orbit so that he burned down in the atmosphere.
The problem of garbage on Earth has long been released from regulated scales and is considered to be the scourge of modern civilization. For the past 50 years, we scatter garbage not only on Earth, but also around it - in outer space.
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The problem of cosmic garbage
It would seem where we are, and where is space? Can we clog the near-empty space? Unfortunately yes. Cosmos pollution began long before Yuri Gagarin made his first flight. The littering of the near-earth orbit takes its beginning since the launch of flagship satellites. After the event of a global scale, when the USSR sent "satellite-1" outside our atmosphere, but the date, October 4, 1958, is considered to be a turning point in the spread of garbage. What is the connection between these events? Yes, that neither is straight. The thing is that the artificial satellite was delivered to the orbit of a rocket, which, after completing the mission, remained forever to circle in space along the elliptical trajectory (that is, around the Earth). Following the USSR, all the most the developed countries The world sought to send similar objects into space.
Next (although it is even more correct to say the previous one) a step in the development of space - manned flights. The first one took place in 1861 and then then aggravated the ecological situation in the near-earth orbit. By this time, tons of garbage revolved around the Earth, which was a consequence of unsuccessful attempts to launch both unmanned and manned aircraft. Together with the cosmic races of two superpowers, no one needs objects that moved along a given trajectory. They still fly in the impenetrable darkness. From time to time, a new one has been joined from time to half a century, its number has increased, when commercial objects began to run into space (in our time, every little decent corporation necessarily has its own satellite).
So what is the cosmic garbage? This is, in fact, those objects that over time broke or have become not needed at all. As you already guessed, the first category includes satellites and their fragments, steps and fragments of aircraft. That is, everything for some reason ceased to fulfill the duties assigned to it. In fact, on Earth the same things are also called garbage. The only difference is that here we can get rid of it enough (which is much more difficult in space).
The second category includes the same satellites, but in working condition. They just don't need anyone for some reason, or outdated. Such artificial objects continue to work properly and give the desired signal to Earth, only information from them ceased to be necessary.
What is dangerous space trash?
It would seem that the cosmic garbage is at a distance of a thousand kilometers from the surface of our planet and therefore does not carry a special threat. And, it would seem to someone what it is, what he is - he does not interfere with anyone. But this statement is just an erroneous. because of large number Space debris happens frequent breakdowns All the same satellites, and large "garbage fragments" are able to change the trajectory of the flight of non-ferrous aircraft or even destroy them. And the point here is not even in size, but in the tremendous speed, with which the cosmic garbage is moving. According to different estimates, it is at least 10 kilometers per second. This is exactly what the object with a diameter of 1-2 mm is more dangerous by the bullet released from the machine gun. To understand all the severity of the situation, it costs to recall that the microscopic satellite breakage will cost a round sum with six zero. The destruction of the object will entail even more substantial financial losses.
Nowadays were cases when cosmic garbage completely destroyed working device And brought tremendous losses not only to its owners, but also the state to which "lucky" to collect a bunch of fragments on its territory.
It is also worth remembering that the cosmic garbage carries a threat and manned aircraft and even the ISS. Of course, they are equipped with protection systems from such situations, but the threat that big bodies carry is still very significant. And it is very sad, because it is not just a soulless car on Kohn, but much more is human life.
No smaller problems brings the garbage convergence from the trajectory and drop it on the surface of our planet. And it does not matter, he is big or small, in any case it threatens serious trouble. Many will argue with this, they will say that fragments of artificial bodies of a small amount will not be able to achieve earth crust and burned in the atmosphere. Of course, this is so, but they can come from even more serious danger that will have much more negative impact on humanity than the object of large diameter. The fact is that there is a mass of satellites in the orbit of land, which contain very high concentrations harmful substances. Passing through the atmosphere, such an object burns, and the poisons in the gaseous or powder form simply dissipate over the huge territories. Do not forget about and about which these objects are infected. The saddest is the exact amount, how many such satellites in the near-earth orbit cannot accurately install any monitoring.
Another threat associated with violation of the ecology of space is a constant increase in the number of garbage. Even with the disposal and natural destruction of quite large volumes of space sera, it only becomes it every year. What are fraught with such trends, simply simulate. The more Sora, the greater the likelihood of its collision with other aircraft. So, focusing on the pace of spread of garbage, we conclude that in the near future the development of space will not be just risky, but impossible.
Methods and means of combating space trash
It is quite natural that shortly after the discovery of problems with the ecology of space, the leading planet states wondered how to get rid of garbage. Light and understandable ways of how to remove it is unless in the game Space Engineers - everything is much more complicated in life and multifaceted.
The only accessible cleaning of the near-earth orbit is the direction of small space objects to the ground, so that they are safely burned in the atmosphere. The disposal method, of course, is so-so, because of the risks that he carries (we mentioned them earlier). But now we are at that stage, when we do not have a special choice. Ultra-modern devices do not know how and cannot act differently, and the creation of new cleaning technologies requires too much time that we have, unfortunately, no.
Recently, in the scientific world there is a rather hot controversy about the possibility of sending our orbital garbage to other planets or even the sun. From this point of view, the most suitable object Solar system There will be Jupiter, which absorbs the cosmic garbage due to its colossal gravitational field. Of course, this method of eliminating problems on the ecology of space is most safe for earthlings, but it is still impossible to call it anyway. To implement such a method of cleaning, huge financial resources, and the guarantees of the success of the project are 10%.
Since 2018, cleaning with geostationary orbits will be held using the newest apparatus To utilize garbage. This cleaner is displayed in the highest layer of the atmosphere and with the help of ion beams give the selected object the desired trajectory. Where does the cosmic garbage go? There are two options - the patches are smallerly destroyed in the atmosphere, and the fragments are moving more in deep space. It sounds all rationally and promising, but how much this way to combat Sorrow in orbit will be effective, time will show.
Today it is clear one thing: the collection and disposal of cosmic garbage is the primary tasks for the entire scientific community.
Space garbage is global problemFrom the solution of which it depends not only to the study of the expanses of the universe, but also the future of all mankind.
Falcon Rocket 9 a few days ago Dragon Space truck, on board which is the experimental space trashman, RemoveDebris apparatus. It will allow you to check in practice the technology of cleaning worked out your spacecraft and their fragments with the help of harpoon and network. How lit by the near-earth space? Will there be places in it for new satellites? We decided to figure it out in this matter with the help of a scientific officer of the Institute of Applied Mathematics named after M.V. Keldysh Mikhail Invalus.
Such devices like RemoveDebris will do something. According to the NASA program to study the cosmic garbage, the number of garbage objects is greater than 10 centimeters approaches 20 thousand, and their total mass is to 8 thousand tons, while most of them are fragments of spacecraft.
According to the calculations of the European Space Agency, the number of objects of more than one centimeter reaches 750 thousand, and smaller fragments can be thousands of times more. A huge number of small micron-sized fragments generates the operation of the engines, among them there are a lot of small paint pieces, and this man-made dust today causes real damage, leaving holes and microcrars in the housings and on solar panels of spacecraft.
Where does garbage come from
Microcracker from the blow of a particle of cosmic garbage on the window of the porthole shuttle "ENEVOR" (Mission STS-126)
At the same time, the stocks of garbage in orbit are constantly replenished - about hundreds of new spacecraft appear in the near-emblem space, and this is not only satellites, it is also the third stages of missiles, overclocking blocks.
The increase in the number of cosmic garbage objects is greater than 10 centimeters. Lines are denoted (from top to bottom): 1. Total number of objects in orbit; 2. Small debris, resulting from the destruction of satellites; 3. Spacecraft; 4. Fragments separated from spacecraft as a result of staff; 5. Top rocket steps.
Sooner or later, the intensive settlement of the orbit was to lead to "communal problems", and in 1978, NASA employees Donald Kessler and Burton Kur-Pale came to the conclusion that in the near future, the collision between the satellites failed to occur so often that the number of fragments It will grow exponentially (even if at this moment the space launches will stop at all) and ultimately around the earth will form a ring from the debris of spacecraft, similar to the Saturn ring. They predicted that the first collision of spacecraft would occur even to 2000. In reality, the collision of Space-2251 and Iridium 33 satellites occurred on February 19, 2009, and their "meeting" immediately gave rise to 1150 such large wreckage that they could have a control system radars outer space.
Although Kessler's syndrome is an uncontrolled chain reaction of the destruction of devices in orbit and the transformation of near-earth space into a forbidden zone - we can still be observed only in films, such as "gravity" or "Valle and", the space trash now becomes a tangible hindrance. It is enough to recall that the International Space Station (ISS) regularly have to adjust orbit to avoid clashes, and more often the astronauts have to throw all the cases and climb into the Soyuz ship to wait for the dangerous rapprochement of the station with a fragment of cosmic garbage. Details delivered to Earth from the ISS often carry micro-damage - traces of shocks of small garbage debris.
Track of the microscopic fragment of cosmic garbage
Some self-cleaning of the near-earth space still happens, explains N + 1. Researcher at the Institute of Applied Mathematics named after M.V. Keldysh Mikhail Capture. According to him, within the 11th-year cycle solar activity About 250-300 garbage objects per year have to exclude from directories - they simply enter the atmosphere and burn. But the speed of this cleansing varies very much depending on the phase of the solar activity cycle (during the periods of the active sun, the Earth's atmosphere "swells" and begins to slow down the objects harder) and from the height of the orbit.
"Although the effect of the atmosphere is felt at altitudes up to 1,500 kilometers, a truly effectively atmospheric brake works only at a low near-earth orbit, that is, in orbits up to 500-600 kilometers high. In this zone, satellites without constant lifting of orbits using engines can exist for a maximum of a couple of dozen years, then they will enter the atmosphere and burn. But already at altitudes 700-1000 kilometers, spacecraft can be 50-100 years old, that is, on the scale of human life - almost forever. Moreover, these orbits are most popular, there are a lot of solar-synchronous satellites there, because they do not need to spend a lot of fuel to support this orbit. Many devices are launched on these heights, because they can survive there for a long time, "the scientist says.
Distribution of the number of satellites depending on the height of the orbit
The floor is from 700 to 1000 kilometers - the most popular and population is faster, but even at these heights, the implementation of the catastrophic scenario described by Kessler is the case of a distant future.
"At low orbits, 13 thousand satellites rotate, for 200 years with the most negative scenario, their number will increase to 100 thousand, and therefore the probability of collisions will increase by about 100 times. Today, the likelihood of a catastrophic collision is about once every five years, with increasing probability of collisions, we obtain the value of approximately 20 incidents per year per population in 100 thousand devices. It is not so high to make the launch of the satellites in this zone commercially meaningless, "explains the captain.
However, a scientist believes, one should not exacerbate the problem, leaving its decision to future generations, so measures to combat pollution of near-earth space should be developed now.
Pure where they do not sort
To begin with, it would be nice to make so that the space debris does not become greater, and for this it is necessary that spacecraft do not explode. The main source of small fragments in the orbit today is not a collision of satellites with each other (while we know only one such event - the clash of Iridium with "Space", which was discussed above), and the so-called "Events of fragmentation", the destruction of the devices for Various internal reasons.
According to NASA estimates, as of August 2007, 194 cases of explosive destruction of satellites, upper stages of missiles and acceleration blocks were recorded, and another 51 Anomalous event - separation of any fragments ( solar panels, pieces of thermal insulation, parts of structures) from the remaining integer apparatus. At the same time, the explosions of the devices in orbit are the source of about 47 percent of the total number of objects of space trash.
Spacecraft explode mainly due to overheating of fuel residues in the tanks - for this reason, explosive destruction occurs in more than 45 percent. One such incident, which was widely illuminated in the press, occurred on October 19, 2012, when the Breeze-M accelerated block exploded in the orbit, forming a cloud of more than 100 debris. Most recently, a month and a half ago, the additional fuel tank of the Overclocking block "Frigate", which was used to output the "Angosate-1" satellite, - after that, another 25 debris appeared in the space object catalog.
"This problem is quite simple to solve - it is necessary to provide passivation of the exhaust devices, that is, to embed the valves in the tanks, which would have boiled a fuel pair, or to ensure the operation of the engines before it is complete, it is desirable to lower the orbit of the devices," says Mikhail Invatties.
However, it notes, while maintaining the current frequency of launches of new spacecraft to low orbits and making significant measures to expand the exhaust satellites and passivation. total number Objects with a size of more than 10 centimeters will still increase by 30 percent over the next 200 years. "At the same time, the main role in the growth of this number will play the collision of satellites in the very rejected region of the heights of 700-1000 kilometers, the largest of which will occur every 5-9 years," the scientist explains.
How to remove
Rules that prevent an increase in the garbage load in orbit long developed - there are UN Recommendations, the relevant standard approved by ISO. However, there is no legally binding international treaty in this area, and each country is guided by its own rules, sometimes acting to the detriment of common interests, so, China in 2007 knocked down a rocket of its own meteorochputter, as a result of which more than 2 thousand new fragments of cosmic garbage appeared in orbit.
General recommendations, in general, are quite simple - you should take away the exhaust device where it will not interfere with new satellites, and, if possible, direct it to low orbits so that it burned in the atmosphere. As long as this rule is generally performed only in relation to the devices located on a geostationary orbit with a height of 36 thousand kilometers. The place on geostation is a resource deficit, therefore, they served their geostationary satellites are derived from the "orbit of burial" by 100-200 kilometers higher, explains the capture. However, in other orbits this rule is not always performed.
Various options Devices for satellites with orbit by braking (from top to bottom left to right): 1. With the help of an inflatable cylinder with a gas - due to air resistance; 2. Using a film stretched on telescopic rods, due to air resistance; 3. Tape with a counterweight - due to gradient gravity; 4. Conductive cable - due to magnetic fields.
Global Aerospace Corporation
On the one hand, commercially unprofitable to carry a fuel reserve on board a satellite, intended only to reduce the device with orbits at the end of its existence. On the other hand, many satellites, especially MicroPrarats of the Cubesat standard, do not have their own engines. Engineers offer many options for additional devices that can speed up the gathering of the device from orbit. This is, for example, inflatable cylinders that increase the area of \u200b\u200bthe apparatus and, accordingly, the resistance of the air that brake the device due to the effects of electromagnetic fields. But so far, none of these devices has become standard.
Specialized cosmic garbage cleaning devices, despite the high cost of such projects, can be useful to prevent cases of fragmentation of large devices. "A large satellite is potentially thousands of small fragments that may occur when a collision with another apparatus or spontaneous destruction. A specialized "cleaner" can remove these large objects, potentially sprinkling fragmented, and then they will not be in these orbits endlessly. If we are removed in the year about 4-5 objects with high orbits, it can level the potential increase in small fragments in the long run, "says the captain.
Many fears cause Ilona Mask's plans about 12 thousand Satellites Starlink, which should provide global Internet access. However, Mikhail Invaluation believes that this project does not worsen the situation with cosmic garbage.
"For the Starlink and OneWeb system groups, it is supposed to use orbit more than 1.1 thousand kilometers high. Now the concentration of potentially dangerous fragments in this area is an order of magnitude lower than the values \u200b\u200bat 800-900 kilometers altitudes. Therefore, the addition of such a large number of apparatuses will not make the situation in these orbits of critical, "the scientist says.
Sergey Kuznetsov
Today it is necessary not only to solve problems related to pollution of water, soil and air of our planet, but also to raise the question about the huge amount of garbage located in the orbit of the Earth. The accumulation of garbage in the near-emblem space formed there for the last fifty years is by-effect Space studies and is a failed or exhaust space, their fragments and other subjects various size and origin. According to approximate estimates of scientists today, there are more than 11 thousand objects of more than 10 cm in size, tens of thousands of items, length from 1 to 10 cm, and hundreds of thousands of very small waste. At the same time, the greatest number of garbage gathered over "cosmic powers" - Russia and the United States. Currently, the situation continues to deteriorate. Mostly, waste accumulates at an altitude of 850-1500 km from the ground, as well as at the height of the flight ships (250-350 km), but because they are the same as other bodies, obey the laws of gravity, the cosmic garbage gradually approaches the Earth.
The moment of the entry of cosmic garbage, located below 600 km above the Earth, the planet's atmosphere comes in a few years, for more remote waste, decades or even centuries are required. However, hitting the upper layers of the atmosphere, the small cosmic garbage burns, without reaching several tens of kilometers to the surface of the planet, and therefore does not threaten the lives of people and other inhabitants of the Earth. Otherwise, the case is with a larger garbage, some scientists argue that it is able to go through all the layers of the atmosphere and reach the earth's surface. For example, in 1978, the Soviet Space-594 Society fell to the territory of Canada, and a year after Australia, the fragments of the American Space Station were scattered over Australia.
The garbage for spacecraft is much more dangerous. Today, some scientists express concerns that further accumulation of its accumulation can lead to the termination of the launches of satellites and flights into space. The fact is that the debris has a sufficiently large speed of free flight, and with an inadvertent collision with the spacecraft, it can cause it significant harm. Over the past decades, there are several cases of damage to satellites, passenger spacecraft and orbital stations with garbage in near-earth space, and today the situation is even more aggravated.
Currently, we have not yet developed ways to prevent garbage from entering an near-earth orbit or its destruction, only observation of the movement and location of space waste is being monitored. However scientists different countries Offer various methods Solving this problem, starting from the collection of cosmic waste, gigantic metal networks and ending with the invention of a space tug that can remove the garbage in space. Recently, US scientists suggested getting rid of garbage with tungsten dust, scattered around the Earth in the form of a shell with a thickness of up to 30 km. At the same time, the cloud of tungsten dust will have to slow down small debris, cleaning the near-earth space from them.
Simultaneously with this, new rules for using space are developed. For example, on board each artificial satellite, there must be backup stocks of fuel, allowing the expiration of its shelf life to send a satellite to Earth or translate it into specially designated areas of near-earth orbits. In addition, overclocking blocks of rockets are obliged to supply fuel drain systems, in order to avoid their subsequent explosion. However, these measures are insufficient, and the problem of cosmic garbage is still open today.
Space garbage around the Earth is fragments and large pieces of worked, spoiled satellites, which mankind sent more than five decades to orbit.
Also these are stones and lost objects, droplets of enamel and the most diverse garbage, which for some reason did not leave the orbit and did not overcome in the atmosphere.
This is a threat of a chain reaction, as it spins at considerable speed. A drop of paint at a considerable speed when a person's surprise can break through it through.
Anyone is known that people clouded our planet very much, and every day the number of garbage is only increasing several times. However, do not everyone know that for a short time to master the cosmic bowls, humanity could turn the space near the orbit in a landfill from worn unnecessary satellites.
General concepts
In the sky you can see such well-known and monitored satellites and debris:
- Green dots are functioning satellites;
- Gray-inactive, but working satellites;
- Red dotted satellites and debris.
The Space Agency of Europe revealed how much garbage in space is spinning today:
- Approximately twenty-nine thousand fragments of up to ten centimeters;
- Six hundred seventy thousand - size from centimeter to ten;
- More than one hundred seventy millions of fragments of no more centimeter.
The total weight of the garbage near the orbit is estimated at six thousand tons, and its flight speed reaches approximately 56,000 km / h.
For the last half of the century, approximately seven thousand satellites were launched into space, of which half, as before, rotates in orbit, and the thousand is in activity.
Main problems
To date, humanity is forced to solve problems not only with pollution ambient on the planet, but also to look for a solution to the issue related to huge number garbage in space. The greatest number The garbage was formed above such powers, leaders in the conquest of space, like Russia and America. Most often, waste accumulates at a distance of no more than one and a half thousand kilometers from the ground. At the height, where ships fly in space, they are subordinated to the law of gravity and approach Earth every year.
Falling into the upper layers of the atmosphere, small orbital trash burnswithout reaching several tens of kilometers, and therefore it does not constitute threats to the lives of people and other inhabitants of the planet.
Very dangerous garbage in the orbit of land for ships in space. To date, many scientists talk about the danger that the subsequent accumulation of waste can lead to the end of the launches of satellites and flights into space.
This is due to the fact that waste has a considerable flight rate and with an unexpected collision with a spacecraft may cause significant damage to it. Over the past dozens of years, it is known about several cases of satellite deformation, ships and space stations Land in the orbit of land garbage, and now the situation has only worsened.
Today there are no techniques that prevent waste from entering orbit, but only observations of their movement and location are carried out. But experts from various states offer different methods Solutions for this issue, ranging from garbage collection with large steel grids and ending with the development of a tug for space, which will be able to delete waste in orbit.
Recently, specialists from America offered to remove trash with tungsten dust that need to be dispelled near the planet as a shell of up to thirty kilometers. The cloud of such dust should slow down small debris, cleaning the space near the ground.
Along with this, new conditions for using space are invented. For example, any artificial satellite should have backup fuel resources on board, which will allow you to send it to Earth or translate it to those defined places in the near-earth orbit.
In addition, blocks for overclocking rockets must have fuel drain systems to prevent their subsequent explosion. But such events are not sufficient, and the problem of cosmic waste today remains unlocked.
Useful inventions
The question of clogging of space by waste is very acute, and any state tries to find their own ways to solve it. Recently, specialists from China offered to destroy the fragments with the help of a laser beam. Based on their analysis in orbit it is possible to establish a laser station, which will work efficiently - provided that the station and garbage will have an identical direct climb of the mechanism.
With the help of a laser, experts want to increase the gathering of cosmic waste from the orbit or reject its direction. The Japanese Space Agency is inventing a hypersensitive radar to detect the smallest cosmic waste. This radar is planning to introduce into work in a few years. It is assumed that he will assist in preventing the collision of cosmic fragments with satellites.
Until this time, the agency was engaged in the invention of the cord seven hundred meters long. It must form an electromagnetic field that will slow down a variety of debris in orbit and take them into the atmosphere of the planet. The initial attempt to get rid of the debris with the help of this apparatus did not end with success, since. spaceship Could not run the cord. Previously, the Japanese agency also offered to remove waste in space with steel networks, which would be output to orbit on a special satellite, collected garbage there, and then disconnected and headed to the layers of the atmosphere.
American experts invent cosmic equipment - the so-called "blankets" that will collect all the space waste and send them to the atmosphere where they will burn.
But no matter how much proposals existed, today it did not work out effective reception Warming Waste in Cosmos different reasonsIn particular, due to the expensive price of ways to clean the space near our planet. At the same time, different, sometimes not very good cautions and versions of the development of the problem are competed from scientific and pseudually scientific groups.
Some say that if you do not deal with this question, then two centuries later work in space will cease forever. Others believe that there is a danger from cosmic waste, which is that it is impossible to establish the cause of the accident or damage to the satellite: or it will be associated with debris in space, or any country contributes to it.
Unusual facts about cosmic waste for many years are not going to mouth. Including TV, a person sees a new fiction that has been lifted about space. Despite the fact that the mastering of the outer space was not so soon, the Earth's orbit began to resemble a dump for waste of different origin. Every year they are increasingly dangerous, since the number of them increases:
Only two states can track the space near the orbit. With the help of the developed systems, they control space. This makes it possible to invent waste disposal methods in outer space.
The garbage from the space regularly falls on the surface of the Earth. Items of significant dimensions moving in low orbits later a certain time Can enter the atmosphere. Their speed drops, and individual pieces reach the Earth. In fact, daily in dense layers of the atmosphere penetrate the smallest particles, big - several times a month.
