10th May 2021 12:11 pm
Dealing with the growing problem of space debris is vital for the continuation of the satellite industry and crewed spaceflight. Andrew Wade reports.
Satellite technology has come a long way since the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1 in 1957, its simple, hypnotic radio signal belying the monumental changes it would herald. In the intervening years, Earth’s inhabitants have come to rely on satellites for everything from TV broadcasting and GPS to weather forecasting and monitoring climate change.
Astroscale’s ELSA-d space debris removal satellite
Naturally, this dependence has led to proliferation, and the skies above have become ever more densely packed with chunks of metal orbiting the planet at enormous speeds. Sometimes, they collide. One of the biggest orbital impacts to date took place in 2009 when the defunct Russian satellite Kosmos-2251 collided with Iridium 33. The relative speed of impact was estimated at 11.7 km/s or about 42,120 km/h, tw
Harwell led a mission to show how to collect space debris
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Space debris demonstration mission blasts off
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Space debris demonstration mission blasts off
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Space debris demonstration mission blasts off
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