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This is potentially dangerouse

Hubbleman

Active member
Veteran
There thousands pieces of junk floating in orbit around the earth....

It poses a threat to satellites and space stations. But also to planes!

A year ago A380 was flying over Atlantic when something damaged one of its engine mid flight at 37,000 ft. It completely took off one of the engines, luckily plane landed ok.

I think that was a piece of space debri that hit the engine, and it might happen again. It was luck the debri hit a engine, if it hit wing or fuselage it could been a different story...

A cause for concern.
 

Gypsy Nirvana

Recalcitrant Reprobate -
Administrator
Veteran
Oh don't worry too much, because I don't think it will be long before there is enough space-junk up there to start to interest space-junk salvage operations. All of those rare metals and antique bits of spacecraft/satellites would do well at a Sotherby's auction.
 

Phaeton

Speed of Dark
Veteran
The yearly infall of 40,000 tons the rocks and dust naturally impacted by the Earth far exceeds everything mankind has put in space by a lot.

The problem with man made objects is that they do not fall back to Earth quick enough and all reside in a narrow band useful for observing the surface.
It is only now beginning to get noticed as an eventual crowding problem at the popular altitudes.

One of the suggestions for solving the problem involves 'slapping' the satellites into the atmosphere. This is not a danger to aircraft.
One further note, we know where our launched satellites are and when they are in position to re enter, unlike the 770 tons per week falling on us by surprise.
 
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