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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 |
#3
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Could Dust Packed Missiles Clean Low-Earth Orbit?
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 |
#4
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Could Dust Packed Missiles Clean Low-Earth Orbit?
"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 |
#5
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Could Dust Packed Missiles Clean Low-Earth Orbit?
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..... |
#6
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Could Dust Packed Missiles Clean Low-Earth Orbit?
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 |
#7
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Could Dust Packed Missiles Clean Low-Earth Orbit?
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? |
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