Could Dust Packed Missiles Clean Low-Earth Orbit?

"Millions of small debris orbiting earth at Low Earth Orbit
(LEO – at altitudes of 2,000 kilometers and below) are
posing serious risk to manned and unmanned spacecraft.
Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
are evaluating the feasibility of dispersing tons of dust to
‘sweep’ these objects from their LEO orbit, slowing and
lowering them into the upper atmosphere, where they will
decay the heat generated from drag induced by the upper
earth atmosphere."

See:

http://defense-update.com/20120622_c...rth-orbit.html

On 24/06/2012 2:26 PM, wrote:
"Millions of small debris orbiting earth at Low Earth Orbit
(LEO – at altitudes of 2,000 kilometers and below) are
posing serious risk to manned and unmanned spacecraft.
Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
are evaluating the feasibility of dispersing tons of dust to
‘sweep’ these objects from their LEO orbit, slowing and
lowering them into the upper atmosphere, where they will
decay the heat generated from drag induced by the upper
earth atmosphere."

See:

http://defense-update.com/20120622_c...rth-orbit.html

Any of that dust comes free, it will be additional debris and probably
more dangerous than the objects it's designed to 'sweep'.

On 24/06/2012 09:26, wrote:
"Millions of small debris orbiting earth at Low Earth Orbit
(LEO – at altitudes of 2,000 kilometers and below) are
posing serious risk to manned and unmanned spacecraft.
Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
are evaluating the feasibility of dispersing tons of dust to
‘sweep’ these objects from their LEO orbit, slowing and
lowering them into the upper atmosphere, where they will
decay the heat generated from drag induced by the upper
earth atmosphere."

See:

http://defense-update.com/20120622_c...rth-orbit.html


I've always thought that a very radical solution will be needed one
day to eradicate the debris threat. I have no idea what that solution
will be, though the idea above certainly appears radical.

--
T

"Alan Erskine" wrote in message
ond.com...

On 24/06/2012 2:26 PM, wrote:
"Millions of small debris orbiting earth at Low Earth Orbit
(LEO – at altitudes of 2,000 kilometers and below) are
posing serious risk to manned and unmanned spacecraft.
Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
are evaluating the feasibility of dispersing tons of dust to
‘sweep’ these objects from their LEO orbit, slowing and
lowering them into the upper atmosphere, where they will
decay the heat generated from drag induced by the upper
earth atmosphere."

See:

http://defense-update.com/20120622_c...rth-orbit.html

Any of that dust comes free, it will be additional debris and probably more
dangerous than the objects it's designed to 'sweep'.


You put the dust into an eccentric orbit and it'll de-orbit itself
eventually.

In addition, in general as it interacts with other debris, it should change
its orbit such that its orbit slowly decays also.



--
Greg D. Moore http://greenmountainsoftware.wordpress.com/
CEO QuiCR: Quick, Crowdsourced Responses. http://www.quicr.net

On Jun 24, 3:50*pm, "Greg \(Strider\) Moore"
wrote:
"Alan Erskine" *wrote in message

ond.com...







On 24/06/2012 2:26 PM, wrote:
"Millions of small debris orbiting earth at Low Earth Orbit
(LEO at altitudes of 2,000 kilometers and below) are
posing serious risk to manned and unmanned spacecraft.
Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
are evaluating the feasibility of dispersing tons of dust to
sweep these objects from their LEO orbit, slowing and
lowering them into the upper atmosphere, where they will
decay the heat generated from drag induced by the upper
earth atmosphere."

See:

http://defense-update.com/20120622_c...ssiles-clean-l....

Any of that dust comes free, it will be additional debris and probably more
dangerous than the objects it's designed to 'sweep'.

You put the dust into an eccentric orbit and it'll de-orbit itself
eventually.

In addition, in general as it interacts with other debris, it should change
its orbit such that its orbit slowly decays also.



--
Greg D. Moore *and anything ion its orbit, including working sats will be effected too.

solar panels probably wouldnt like dust.....

On Sunday, June 24, 2012 3:54:18 AM UTC-7, Hg wrote:
On 24/06/2012 09:26, wrote:
"Millions of small debris orbiting earth at Low Earth Orbit
(LEO – at altitudes of 2,000 kilometers and below) are
posing serious risk to manned and unmanned spacecraft.
Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
are evaluating the feasibility of dispersing tons of dust to
‘sweep’ these objects from their LEO orbit, slowing and
lowering them into the upper atmosphere, where they will
decay the heat generated from drag induced by the upper
earth atmosphere."

See:

http://defense-update.com/20120622_c...rth-orbit.html


I've always thought that a very radical solution will be needed one
day to eradicate the debris threat. I have no idea what that solution
will be, though the idea above certainly appears radical.

--
T

The radical solution will be time, I fear. Wait until
the next civilization or the next Homo species rises
from the surface?

Always willing to help by adding in extra pessimism............Trig

wrote in message
...
"Millions of small debris orbiting earth at Low Earth Orbit
(LEO - at altitudes of 2,000 kilometers and below) are
posing serious risk to manned and unmanned spacecraft.
Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
are evaluating the feasibility of dispersing tons of dust to
'sweep' these objects from their LEO orbit, slowing and
lowering them into the upper atmosphere, where they will
decay the heat generated from drag induced by the upper
earth atmosphere."

See:

http://defense-update.com/20120622_c...rth-orbit.html




But are the small objects the dust would effect large enough
to start a cascade?