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Science (non-SETI) :
What space junk??
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Author | Message |
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Lynn Send message Joined: 20 Nov 00 Posts: 14162 Credit: 79,603,650 RAC: 123 |
What debris due we have out there? An Unknown Manmade Object is Headed for Earth It's likely a rocket casing, but astronomers aren't for sure from where. All they know is that in three weeks, it will burn up over the Indian Ocean. Earlier this month, an object called WT1190F​ was spotted on a trajectory that will bring it right to Earth. It came here from far beyond the moon, and its hollow nature and cylindrical shape suggest that it's human-made and not an asteroid or meteorite. It won't cause any major problems on the ground, but there's still something troubling: Astronomers don't know what the heck it is, or why it's only now coming up on their radar. http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/news/a17915/unknown-space-debris-reentry/ |
Darth Beaver Send message Joined: 20 Aug 99 Posts: 6728 Credit: 21,443,075 RAC: 3 |
Hope they get the math right . They better think about the I.S.S It's big enough to do some damage if it hit it . |
betreger Send message Joined: 29 Jun 99 Posts: 11415 Credit: 29,581,041 RAC: 66 |
Nah, the mass density is so it will probably burn up pretty fast. |
Bob DeWoody Send message Joined: 9 May 10 Posts: 3387 Credit: 4,182,900 RAC: 10 |
Maybe a panel from the Apollo 13 service module. Bob DeWoody My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events. |
Angela Send message Joined: 16 Oct 07 Posts: 13131 Credit: 39,854,104 RAC: 31 |
It is good that stuff is falling out of orbit and burning up. We have a space junk problem and it is getting worse over time. Every time two bits of space junk collide, they break into smaller and smaller pieces. Something the size of a pea, going at orbital velocity, could take out a satellite. NASA now makes you submit a plan for eventually de-orbiting things you put into orbit, but back in the 60's and 70's they didn't care about this (although they should have!!!) Now there is lots of stuff up there breaking apart and becoming potential hazards to things we want to keep up there. |
KLiK Send message Joined: 31 Mar 14 Posts: 1304 Credit: 22,994,597 RAC: 60 |
What debris due we have out there? only 2 things it can hit there is: - Diego Garcia - Maldives but that one would burn down near Sri Lanka! ;) EDIT: about space junk https://youtu.be/19GomByyDQg?t=2m54s :D non-profit org. Play4Life in Zagreb, Croatia, EU |
KLiK Send message Joined: 31 Mar 14 Posts: 1304 Credit: 22,994,597 RAC: 60 |
all those islands combine is less than 0,1% of area of Indian ocean...so hit on them is a slight chance! also, Space Watch said it would be near Sri Lanka...all those islands are some 1000km away... ;) non-profit org. Play4Life in Zagreb, Croatia, EU |
KLiK Send message Joined: 31 Mar 14 Posts: 1304 Credit: 22,994,597 RAC: 60 |
Ever heard of Tsunamis in your short life so far? from a that small object...that would be first! :D still remember 2004... ;) non-profit org. Play4Life in Zagreb, Croatia, EU |
rob smith Send message Joined: 7 Mar 03 Posts: 22522 Credit: 416,307,556 RAC: 380 |
Its not that big, or dense, so will probably never get anywhere near the surface, but will burn up "somewhere up there". While there might be a bit of a bang if one is in the right location there is little risk of a tsunami. Physical characteristics Dimensions 0.7-2 meters Mass 250-2000 kg Mean density ~0.1 g/cm³ Bob Smith Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society) Somewhere in the (un)known Universe? |
Gary Charpentier Send message Joined: 25 Dec 00 Posts: 31001 Credit: 53,134,872 RAC: 32 |
Gosh, it might make a splash as big as when the lunar lander from Apollo 13 hit! |
rob smith Send message Joined: 7 Mar 03 Posts: 22522 Credit: 416,307,556 RAC: 380 |
---some people get so excited over what is really quite a small object - I can't remember the figures but I think "2 ton lumps" are about a monthly event - and only a very small fraction of those get below a few miles into the atmosphere before they disintegrate and burn up completely. (The Apollo along with other manned spacecraft are slowed in their decent by use of clever re-entry paths and, finally, parachutes.) Bob Smith Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society) Somewhere in the (un)known Universe? |
janneseti Send message Joined: 14 Oct 09 Posts: 14106 Credit: 655,366 RAC: 0 |
Space junk not disintegrated and burnt up completely. http://io9.com/heres-what-our-space-junk-looks-like-after-its-crashed-1596339327 |
rob smith Send message Joined: 7 Mar 03 Posts: 22522 Credit: 416,307,556 RAC: 380 |
The vast majority of those objects were from sub-orbital "events", many are lower stages or aerodynamic nose cones that never reach orbital heights. You only have to look at the bits from the Delta 2 compared to one of the nose cones to see the difference. The Dela 2 tank has been at least into a near-orbital situation and is quite scarred, while the nose cones still have bright paintwork... Bob Smith Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society) Somewhere in the (un)known Universe? |
Gary Charpentier Send message Joined: 25 Dec 00 Posts: 31001 Credit: 53,134,872 RAC: 32 |
(The Apollo along with other manned spacecraft are slowed in their decent by use of clever re-entry paths and, finally, parachutes.) Apollo 13 lunar lander wasn't, it was supposed to be 1/2 on the moon and 1/2 in lunar orbit. Of course all the command service modules had nothing to slow them. Nor did the shuttle when it broke up. Nor did skylab and a lot of other space junk. And you can even watch video of the shuttle boosters all the way until they hit water. I mentioned Apollo 13 on purpose as this item of space junk seems to be in trans lunar orbit and will be coming in a bit faster than stuff in low earth orbit. |
Lynn Send message Joined: 20 Nov 00 Posts: 14162 Credit: 79,603,650 RAC: 123 |
Left over from Apollo. Space debris to collide with Earth on Friday the 13th A mysterious piece of space debris called WT1190F is expected to enter Earth’s atmosphere near Sri Lanka Friday. The piece of space debris is fittingly colliding with Earth on the unluckiest day on the calendar – Friday the 13th. The object is believed to be a discarded rocket body and will likely enter Earth’s atmosphere from above the Indian Ocean around 11:49 local time or 1:19 a.m. E.T., according to the European Space Agency. In preparation for the object's entry, there is a no-fly zone order and no fishing will be allowed in the "Southern sea area" on Nov. 13, the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defense said in a statement earlier this week. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/11/12/space-debris-collide-earth-friday-13th/75651628/ |
Bob DeWoody Send message Joined: 9 May 10 Posts: 3387 Credit: 4,182,900 RAC: 10 |
Well this one burned up in the atmosphere. The Science Channel ran a program about the potential for disaster that exists in the space around the earth Friday night. Their biggest concern is the grouping of four Russian heavy launch boosters that are in orbit. If any two of those collide the space junk problem will explode into a nightmare. Bob DeWoody My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events. |
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