PacSci-Doku - "Collision Course"
By Dennis Schatz - Senior Vice President for Strategic Programs
The question in this edition is:
What presents a major danger to satellites
and astronauts in space?
The answer: Space Junk
Scroll down to see the solution to the puzzle.
The Air Force tracks almost 20,000 objects (four-inches or larger across) that orbit the Earth. This includes more than 800 functioning satellites, including the International Space Station. There is an estimated 500,000 smaller pieces of Space Junk not currently tracked. This junk poses a serious threat to humans in space, as well as to the working satellites.
The largest number of space debris occurred when a Chinese missile destroyed a defunct weather satellite and by last year's crash between Iridium 33 (a working communication satellite) and Cosmos 2251 (a defunct Russian communication spacecraft).
A recent collision was averted when a discarded Chinese rocket weighing 4 tons was on a near collision course with the European Space Agency's Envisat (a satellite providing environmental observations of the Earth) weighing 8 tons. Course predictions said they would pass within 200 feet - too close for comfort. Envisat used its maneuvering jets to fly by the rocket at a more acceptable distance. Click here to read about this near collision and the challenge of more junk collecting in space.
Not all space junk is pieces of satellites or spent rockets. Click here to read about some of the more interesting items lost in space.
Here is the solution:
The largest number of space debris occurred when a Chinese missile destroyed a defunct weather satellite and by last year's crash between Iridium 33 (a working communication satellite) and Cosmos 2251 (a defunct Russian communication spacecraft).
A recent collision was averted when a discarded Chinese rocket weighing 4 tons was on a near collision course with the European Space Agency's Envisat (a satellite providing environmental observations of the Earth) weighing 8 tons. Course predictions said they would pass within 200 feet - too close for comfort. Envisat used its maneuvering jets to fly by the rocket at a more acceptable distance. Click here to read about this near collision and the challenge of more junk collecting in space.
Not all space junk is pieces of satellites or spent rockets. Click here to read about some of the more interesting items lost in space.
Here is the solution:
The best way to keep up with PacSci-Doku, and everything happening at Pacific Science Center, is to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter. Just use the sign-up form below.
MORE DISCOVERY |
CONNECT WITH US 
|
SIGN UP FOR OUR |