Answer (1 of 5): Don’t know about the 5 years to deorbit, but it doesn’t seem to be very controversial. Maybe somebody genuinely science-y can address that, but… Is it cost effective? That’s a pretty good question, I think. And a nice candidate for very rough back of the envelope testing. So... Read more
Iridium Communications completed disposal of the last of its 65 working legacy satellites Dec. 28, while leaving open the possibility of paying an active-debris-removal company to deorbit 30 that failed in the decades since the operator deployed its first-generation constellation.
In the 1980s, NASA engineer Robert Farquhar came up with a sly plan to divert the ISEE-3 satellite from its original path to visit a comet instead. Now Farquhar has another big plan for his “baby.”
Nice, but another comment on that subject led me to ponder if the streets would only be cleaned in certain areas that could afford them. Like gated communities using money to avoid mixing with the rabble.
Keith’s Note: NASA is increasingly engaged in understanding the threats posed by collision of human-made objects in Earth orbit as well as naturally occurring threats posed by asteroids – as is evidenced by news in last week. More on DART and orbital debris below. NASA Funds Projects to Study Or... Read more
One day huge space stations will be thrown away and disowned, like countless enormous ships and tankers dupped around the world. Time, my friends, time is all we need.
Asgardia is a free borderless model of society, with knowledge, intelligence, science and the recognition of the ultimate value of each human life at its very core.
Once you got your ticket, there is little others can do to stop you littering the solar system.. and “Any American citizen who wants to launch a rocket or other kind of spacecraft into orbit must obtain authorization from the FAA, as would any foreigner who launches within U.S. territory. The FAA regulates the commercial sector’s space activities by requiring parties to obtain launch and re-entry licenses.”
Do you need special permission to land something on the moon?
Google recently announced its sponsorship of the Lunar X Prize, which awards $20 million to the first private firm to land a robotic rover on the moon...
“Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means.” Today, space lawyers are spending an awful lot of time debating what, exactly, that means.
what would you do to remove space junk? its a problem that will get worse before it gets better. ideas needed. Good explanation on this site though https://www.nap.edu/read/4765/chapter/10#136
Read “Orbital Debris: A Technical Assessment” at NAP.edu
Read chapter 7 TECHNIQUES TO REDUCE THE FUTURE DEBRIS HAZARD: Since the beginning of space flight, the collision hazard in Earth orbit has increased as ...
we need orbiting robots that clean things up for us. Just attract by going near with magnets, grappling and firing it down into a burn up.
However ESA are working on it already.
Satellites that just won’t die are a problem too, can MEVs go out there and put them out of their misery too?
Zombie Satellites...Should we Fear the Graveyard Orbit of Un-dead Satellites? | NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS)
Soon space gipsies will be scouting around graveyard orbits looking for scrap and dead sats they can bring back to life for cash money. And rightly so, bless ’em.
Where Do Old Satellites Go When They Die? | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids
Satellite servicing is going to be a huge industry one day – keep in mind there were no garages when the first round of cars were being built and driven.
For the first time, a spacecraft has returned an aging satellite to service
Not sure how many dead satellites we want to bring back to life but this brings hope to a few of them. A really interesting avenue of progress considering all the space junk we have hidden ourselves behind.
The Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite, operational since early 2018, is starting to return high resolution maps of air polluting gases that are invisible to the human eye. Amongst the first images released by mission scientists were plumes of nitrogen dioxide flowing from power plants as well as traf... Read more
ESKOM WE FOUND YOU – WATCH YOUR BACK “The world’s biggest hotspot over the three month period is Mpumalanga in South Africa, home to a cluster of a dozen coal fired power plants with a total capacity of over 32 gigawatts owned and operated by Eskom.”
New satellite data analysis reveals world’s biggest NO2 emissions hotspots - Greenpeace International
Galactic climate police would be great – satellites are likely one of the best ideas man has had since primitive tools – hence the reference in 2001 space odessey.
New Satellite Video Shows China Pollution Vanishing During COVID-19 Lockdown—Then Coming Back
The European Space Agency released a new video this weekend that shows air pollution vanishing over China as the country goes into COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown, then returning as business resumes.
I really like the sound of these guys – Climate Trace: “We exist to make meaningful climate action faster and easier by mobilizing the global tech community—harnessing satellites, artificial intelligence, and collective expertise.”
Trump make space force so it can attack those that report climate change. but the tide is turning. Satellites are the answer only if we can enforce the rules we all make together.
Satellites to monitor air pollution generated by every power station on Earth
It’s called a Heliocentric orbit, there are plenty of probes already out there but a constellation of cubesats would help us find out more about the great life-giver for sure.
Looks like the next sun monitoring Cubesats will be flying in Low Earth Orbit rather than around the sun. Not sure if we need them around the sun for this type of mission as LEO is easier and cheaper to get to.
For NASA's next sun mission, 6 tiny spacecraft will work as one massive telescope
To improve communication between spaceships and satellites, it’s out with the old radio-wave reliance and in with the latest in laser-based technology.
NASA wouldn’t allow anyone else to change anything like that – while its still putting the money in. There were rumours that people could suggest a more futuristic or exciting name for SLS, but yeah bureaucracy won, which it should I guess.
What's in a name? Possible NASA naming contest for SLS nothing new
China’s space broom isn’t the Death Star super laser. It’s an orbiting satellite with a laser only powerful enough to heat up pieces of space junk, so that they change course burn up in the atmosphere.Depositphotos
China is developing technology for 'satellite inspection and repair' and debris clean-up - 'at least some of which could also function' as weapons against US satellites, a Pentagon report says.
Space debris from India's anti-satellite weapons test is still in orbit around Earth.
The National Aeronautics and Space Research Organisation (NASA) is
“The helicon plasma thruster is an electrodeless system, which allows it to undertake long operations performed at a high power level.” says Takahashi, “This discovery is considerably different to existing solutions and will make a substantial contribution to future sustainable human activity in space.”
A New Solution to the Space Junk Problem. Spacecraft with Plasma Beams to Force Space Junk to Burn Up - Universe Today
These days even elementary student groups and small organizations are building CubeSats and seeing them go into orbit. If you are not up to building and launching a working spacecraft yourself, her…
In a little under a weeks time Lego-1 is due to make history by being the first 1U cubesat to be made from 40% lego,a team from ogel universtiy hope to be the first team to have a cubesat in orbit,…
The International Space Station deployed this small satellite for the NanoRacks-Remove Debris investigation, designed to demonstrate an approach to reduce the risks presented by orbital debris or "space junk."
You know like death the inevitable solution will be, wait for it… – Space Tax
In a recent study, economists proposed a Pigovian tax that would discourage the excessive launch of satellites and use money from the tax of satellites that are launched to pay for the removal of space debris.
recommended read “There are many possible means of reducing the debris hazard to future space operations. These include actions taken as a spacecraft enters orbit (e.g., tethering rather than jettisoning lens caps and despin devices), during operations (e.g., reducing the amount of refuse ejected from crewed missions), and after its functional lifetime (e.g., depleting energy sources or moving the spacecraft into a disposal orbit). Some methods would cost very little, whereas others might be economically prohibitive for some missions. Their effectiveness also will vary, not only from method to method but also in how well a particular method will work in different orbital regions and with different space systems.”
Read “Orbital Debris: A Technical Assessment” at NAP.edu
Read chapter 7 TECHNIQUES TO REDUCE THE FUTURE DEBRIS HAZARD: Since the beginning of space flight, the collision hazard in Earth orbit has increased as ...
According to a top-voted answer on Quora, you can hire capacity on a large communications satellite for around 200 dollars per hour – which is what big tv channels do…
“CNN, Fox or the BBC will rent 6-8MHz of satellite capacity to get video and audio back from a live news, sport or event. If it is something like a sports event then they’ll rent a few hours…You could be talking about $200 per hour or more for 8MHz.” – Bob Hannent, Innovation Architect. Satellite specialist in broadcast and telecoms.
most companies just lease usage of communications satellies, look at https://www.lyngsat.com/ to see the latest bunch of tv stations and stuff share their satellite service providers.
They are already using smartphones in cubesats, a kit that integrated the phone with other sensors and extra power sources would be amazing. Ie not global positioning but universal…..
PhoneSat-1 and 2 - Satellite Missions - eoPortal Directory
Launch packages for tiny satellites here, and they help you make satellites from kits but not sure if its arduino based. They should sell a whole stack of them in order to sell their launch services. you know, lego one, mechano one, arduino one and the rest…
DreamUp provides schools and universities with low-cost access to space research platforms in suborbital and low-Earth orbit for educational space research.
Space junk from a new Chinese rocket narrowly missed dropping down on New York City Monday night, according to a report, largely burning up in the atmosphere before some of the debris survived long enough to slam into West Africa.
Mars-Cat archive – which involved ambipolar thrust – this idea has yet to reach its full potential. Who will make it worthwhile an endeavour in the future is yet to be seen.
The feasibility of helicon plasma thrusters, commonly considered the most promising for deep space propulsion, is evaluated in terms of their plasma production efficiency, longevity, operation stab...
Hundreds of thousands of man-made objects are zipping around our planet—from dead satellites to errant nuts and bolts, putting our working satellites at risk.
serious solutions are what’s needed. and soon, because if we don’t get ourselves off this stinking ball because of the crap we spread around us, we will deserve to die quickly alone, like most other life forms out there did, probably.
We have a space debris problem. Here’s how to solve it
More than half-a-million pieces of space junk orbit the Earth, and the threat this debris poses to critical satellite infrastructure and future missions is growing.
There are more than 100 million pieces of human-made debris whizzing around the planet. How do we clean it up to keep Earth orbit safe for our satellites and spacecraft?
True, as reliable as an Elon “5 years” you think?
There’s gold in them there orbits…
This could be your man… “More than 30 years ago, Robert Farquhar stole a spacecraft. Now he’s trying to give it back.”
Nice, but another comment on that subject led me to ponder if the streets would only be cleaned in certain areas that could afford them. Like gated communities using money to avoid mixing with the rabble.
One day huge space stations will be thrown away and disowned, like countless enormous ships and tankers dupped around the world. Time, my friends, time is all we need.
asgardia?
Once you got your ticket, there is little others can do to stop you littering the solar system.. and “Any American citizen who wants to launch a rocket or other kind of spacecraft into orbit must obtain authorization from the FAA, as would any foreigner who launches within U.S. territory. The FAA regulates the commercial sector’s space activities by requiring parties to obtain launch and re-entry licenses.”
“Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means.” Today, space lawyers are spending an awful lot of time debating what, exactly, that means.
what would you do to remove space junk? its a problem that will get worse before it gets better. ideas needed. Good explanation on this site though https://www.nap.edu/read/4765/chapter/10#136
we need orbiting robots that clean things up for us. Just attract by going near with magnets, grappling and firing it down into a burn up.
However ESA are working on it already.
Satellites that just won’t die are a problem too, can MEVs go out there and put them out of their misery too?
Soon space gipsies will be scouting around graveyard orbits looking for scrap and dead sats they can bring back to life for cash money. And rightly so, bless ’em.
Satellite servicing is going to be a huge industry one day – keep in mind there were no garages when the first round of cars were being built and driven.
Not sure how many dead satellites we want to bring back to life but this brings hope to a few of them. A really interesting avenue of progress considering all the space junk we have hidden ourselves behind.
Germany shamed by European Space Agency and other satellites. The future is orange, so is the air.
ESKOM WE FOUND YOU – WATCH YOUR BACK “The world’s biggest hotspot over the three month period is Mpumalanga in South Africa, home to a cluster of a dozen coal fired power plants with a total capacity of over 32 gigawatts owned and operated by Eskom.”
Galactic climate police would be great – satellites are likely one of the best ideas man has had since primitive tools – hence the reference in 2001 space odessey.
I really like the sound of these guys – Climate Trace: “We exist to make meaningful climate action faster and easier by mobilizing the global tech community—harnessing satellites, artificial intelligence, and collective expertise.”
Trump make space force so it can attack those that report climate change. but the tide is turning. Satellites are the answer only if we can enforce the rules we all make together.
It’s called a Heliocentric orbit, there are plenty of probes already out there but a constellation of cubesats would help us find out more about the great life-giver for sure.
We will finally get data about the solar poles. This is great after we sent so many small satellites around the earth.
Looks like the next sun monitoring Cubesats will be flying in Low Earth Orbit rather than around the sun. Not sure if we need them around the sun for this type of mission as LEO is easier and cheaper to get to.
This already. Lasers might work better, might not. Early days.
coming to an orbit near you.
I loved this idea since I heared about The LLCD. They are coming and once they start, just try to stop them.
Whatever they call it, its gonna be a major light-show.
Like it, better than some of the random names they generated here.
NASA wouldn’t allow anyone else to change anything like that – while its still putting the money in. There were rumours that people could suggest a more futuristic or exciting name for SLS, but yeah bureaucracy won, which it should I guess.
China’s space broom isn’t the Death Star super laser. It’s an orbiting satellite with a laser only powerful enough to heat up pieces of space junk, so that they change course burn up in the atmosphere.Depositphotos
floating crafts, harpoons and nets. Sounds a bit of a low tech solution – more like a fishing trip than escaping our world.
Heh, you would still need a space broom to clean up the stray silly string.
last year i read that india was likely to compete with china for being the biggest litterbugs in the solar system. They’ve had plenty of practice.
I guess the Chinese aren’t using silly string then.
Now its a count up for who is the worst space criminal (organization).
“The helicon plasma thruster is an electrodeless system, which allows it to undertake long operations performed at a high power level.” says Takahashi, “This discovery is considerably different to existing solutions and will make a substantial contribution to future sustainable human activity in space.”
Someone made a replica of one of those Dove satellites already. but kits would be good if you could get small cameras and sensors inside the thing.
I remember reading about this ages ago and found the article, not sure if it did actually fly though, anyone know?
People are working on a variety of solutions, but someone needs to stop the culprits making it worse now.
You know like death the inevitable solution will be, wait for it… – Space Tax
In a recent study, economists proposed a Pigovian tax that would discourage the excessive launch of satellites and use money from the tax of satellites that are launched to pay for the removal of space debris.
recommended read “There are many possible means of reducing the debris hazard to future space operations. These include actions taken as a spacecraft enters orbit (e.g., tethering rather than jettisoning lens caps and despin devices), during operations (e.g., reducing the amount of refuse ejected from crewed missions), and after its functional lifetime (e.g., depleting energy sources or moving the spacecraft into a disposal orbit). Some methods would cost very little, whereas others might be economically prohibitive for some missions. Their effectiveness also will vary, not only from method to method but also in how well a particular method will work in different orbital regions and with different space systems.”
Ahh but can it spot the culprits of light seen from the ground also? Lots of people now worried the night sky is being ruined by SpaceX.
NASA already have the data – There’s no hiding now.
Good article here, its not just a problem for astronomers.
According to a top-voted answer on Quora, you can hire capacity on a large communications satellite for around 200 dollars per hour – which is what big tv channels do…
“CNN, Fox or the BBC will rent 6-8MHz of satellite capacity to get video and audio back from a live news, sport or event. If it is something like a sports event then they’ll rent a few hours…You could be talking about $200 per hour or more for 8MHz.” – Bob Hannent, Innovation Architect. Satellite specialist in broadcast and telecoms.
most companies just lease usage of communications satellies, look at https://www.lyngsat.com/ to see the latest bunch of tv stations and stuff share their satellite service providers.
Nasa has been doing this for a while.
They are already using smartphones in cubesats, a kit that integrated the phone with other sensors and extra power sources would be amazing. Ie not global positioning but universal…..
Any space junk deniers our there?
this is tiny, easy to lose in the void though i guess. or are there nano sats that are so small the military cant even find where they put them?
Launch packages for tiny satellites here, and they help you make satellites from kits but not sure if its arduino based. They should sell a whole stack of them in order to sell their launch services. you know, lego one, mechano one, arduino one and the rest…
Looks like they used nanoracks.com to launch it. They should do a kit and package.
This is a real satelllite from auduino – someone should make and sell the kit though , would be good for schools.
Not sure how true some of this is about space junk. who knows the truth? and who tells it?
Mars-Cat archive – which involved ambipolar thrust – this idea has yet to reach its full potential. Who will make it worthwhile an endeavour in the future is yet to be seen.
Also of interest…. Helicon thrusters: Will they ever fly
Background info about this propulsion method on YouTube
gonna keep getting worse. glad people are talking about it though.
serious solutions are what’s needed. and soon, because if we don’t get ourselves off this stinking ball because of the crap we spread around us, we will deserve to die quickly alone, like most other life forms out there did, probably.
On Kickstarter…It reached the funding level but that was ages ago, have there been any more projects using ambipolar thrusters?
Or use a net, a claw, grab it, laser it and urr.yep, sillystring
This is an alternative way to fund small satellite projects
I think this has been done http://www.artsatkit.com/en/ here is a video of a guy who made an arduino satellite https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02EW1UtPIow&list=PLxyM2a_cfnzggc734oPitiypC2rsXpU5U