Old satellites and pieces of shuttles are floating in the space around Earth. Is space debris dangerous?

What can we do about it? Ex perts are discussing solutions at a conference in Germany .
A t t h e 6 t h Eu r opea n Con fer en ce on Spa ce Debr is bein g h eld in t h e Ger m a n cit y of Da r m st a dt fr om A pr il 2 2 t o 2 5 , ex per t s a ssocia t ed w it h t h e Eu r opea n Spa ce A g en cy (ESA ) a r e discu ssin g t h e pr oblem of w a st e in or bit a r ou n d Ea r t h . On e con cer n is t h e pot en t ia l h a za r ds of spa ce debr is r et u r n in g t o Ea r t h . Bu t t h e m or e pr essin g pr oblem is t h a t if a fu n ct ion a l sa t ellit e or spa ce st a t ion collides w it h ev en a sm a ll bit of spa ce ju n k , it cou ld be com plet ely dest r oy ed.

Collisional cascading
T h e fir st collision in spa ce w a s bet w een a sa t ellit e belon g in g t o t h e Un it ed St a t es a n d a n ot h er belon g in g t o Ru ssia . T h e k iss of dea t h occu r r ed a t 7 9 0 k ilom et er s (4 9 1 m iles) a bov e Siber ia . "It w a s r ea lly ju st a m a t t er of t im e," sa id Hein er Klin k r a d, h ea d of ESA 's Spa ce Debr is Office. He ex pla in ed t h a t t h e spa ce a r ou n d Ea r t h is fu ll of object s - fr om t in y scr ew s t h a t h a v e com e u n don e, t o r ock et fr a g m en t s a n d defu n ct sa t ellit es. Su ch it em s com pr ise w h a t is k n ow n a s spa ce debr is. A s t h e a m ou n t of debr is in cr ea ses, m or e collision s cr ea t e m or e debr is. Pr ev en t in g t h is "collision a l ca sca din g " is a focu s of t h e con fer en ce in Ger m a n y . "It 's m a in ly t h e la r g e pieces t h a t ca u se lon g -t er m pr oblem s," sa id Klin k r a d. He a dded t h a t ev en t h e sm a llest fr a g m en t s ca n be pr oblem a t ic. "W e ca n a ssu m e t h a t if a 1 0 -cen t im et er (4 -in ch ) object st r ik es a sa t ellit e, it s fu n ct ion in g da y s a r e ov er ." Su ch fr a g m en t s h a v e t h e pow er of a h a n d g r en a de in t h e w eig h t lessn ess of ou t er spa ce, w h er e w h en object s g o fly in g , t h ey don 't com e t o a st op.

Low risk for earth

T h e Spa ce Su r v eilla n ce Net w or k (SSN) h a s ca t a log u ed 1 3 ,0 0 0 la r g er pieces of spa ce debr is cu r r en t ly floa t in g a r ou n d Ea r t h . It 's est im a t ed t h er e a r e u p t o 7 0 0 ,0 0 0 object s a r ou n d 1 cen t im et er (0 .4 in ch ) in size u p t h er e. T h e la y per son m ig h t a sk if t h is m a ss of spa ce debr is w ill fa ll ba ck on t h e Ea r t h . Fr a n k J r g en Diek m a n n , h ea d of ESA 's obser v a t ion a l sa t ellit e m ission En v isa t , doesn 't t h in k so. "T h e lik elih ood of som et h in g a r r iv in g t o Ea r t h w it h ou t bu r n in g u p isn 't ex a ct ly zer o, bu t it is v er y , v er y low ," h e sa id. A ccor din g t o Kin k r a d's est im a t es, a t lea st t w o m et er -lon g (3 -foot -lon g ) it em s pa ss fr om spa ce t o Ea r t h 's a t m osph er e ev er y w eek . Bu t t h e r esea r ch er s a r e m or e con cer n ed a bou t pr ot ect in g ex pen siv e sa t ellit es.
Space debri s i s a growi n g dan ger for expen si v e satel l i tes

Mor e t h a n 6 ,0 0 0 sa t ellit es h a v e been la u n ch ed in t o spa ce sin ce 1 9 5 7 , a n d a r ou n d 1 ,0 0 0 a r e st ill bein g u sed for r esea r ch , m ilit a r y a n d t elecom m u n ica t ion s pu r poses. "On ly a bou t 6 or 7 per cen t of a ll object s u p t h er e a r e oper a t ion a l sa t ellit es," Klin k r a d sa id. Ca lcu la t ion s a r e k ey t o pr eser v in g t h ese fu n ct ion a l sa t ellit es. T h eir or bit s a r e com pa r ed w it h k n ow n it em s in t h e SSN ca t a log u e, a n d a r isk ca len da r is pla n n ed for ev er y w eek in

or der t o pla n ev a siv e m a n eu v er s.

Getting the big picture

Keepin g t r a ck of w h a t debr is is in or bit is ex t r em ely difficu lt . T h e equ ipm en t is h a r d t o com e by a n d on ly t h e U.S. a n d Ru ssia possess en ou g h of it t o ca r r y ou t effect iv e in v est ig a t ion s. Eu r opea n spa ce r esea r ch er s a r e dr ea m in g a bou t cr ea t in g t h eir ow n debr is m on it or in g sy st em . Klin k r a d poin t ed ou t t h a t t h is w ou ld h elp in t h e r elia bilit y of m ov em en t s t o a v oid collision s. T h e t opic h a s been on t h e ESA 's r a da r for a t lea st 2 0 y ea r s. Bu t it 's on ly r ecen t ly t h a t t h e 1 8 Eu r opea n m em ber cou n t r ies h a v e or g a n ized t o t a k e on t h e issu e polit ica lly . Ba sic bu ildin g block s sh ou ld soon be in pla ce for su ch a Eu r opea n sy st em , a lt h ou g h a n y t h in g r iv a lin g t h e U.S. or Ru ssia n sy st em s w on 't be r ea list ic u n t il a t lea st 2 0 1 5 . T h e m a jor it y of ev a siv e m a n eu v er s pr og r a m m ed a r e for sa t ellit es t o a v oid collision s w it h t in y spa ce fr a g m en t debr is. Bu t ea ch m ov e cost s v a lu a ble fu el - w h ich ca n sh or t en t h e lifespa n of sa t ellit es, t h ese da y s t y pica lly a r ou n d 1 2 y ea r s.

'Common sense'
In Ma r ch of 2 0 0 9 , ev en t h e In t er n a t ion a l Spa ce St a t ion h a d t o t u r n 1 8 0 deg r ees t o a v oid fr a g m en t s fr om a Ch in ese w ea t h er sa t ellit e t h a t pa ssed da n g er ou sly close t o t h e m a n n ed st a t ion . Klin kr a d sa id t h a t 2 0 t o 3 0 per cen t of a ll r isk y fly by s a r e t h e r esu lt of a sin g le w a r g a m e ex er cise. For ex a m ple, in Ja n u a r y 2 0 0 7 Ch in a blew u p on e of it s sa t ellit es w it h a m id-r a n g e r ock et . A lt h ou g h t h e r ea son s a r e n ot k n ow n , t h e r esu lt s a r e cer t a in ly la st in g . T h er e a r e 2 ,3 0 0 fr a g m en t s of debr is st ill in or bit a r ou n d ea r t h .

T h e In t er -A g en cy Debr is Coor din a t ion Com m it t ee is seek in g in t er n a t ion a l cooper a t ion t o a ddr ess t h e pr oblem . Klin k r a d sa id open n ess is t h e best policy w h er e su ch debr is is con cer n ed, bu t a dded t h a t t h e la ck of a leg a l fr a m ew or k com plica t es m a t t er s. "A t t h e m om en t t h e on ly t h in g for biddin g people fr om blow in g u p t h eir ow n sa t ellit es is com m on sen se," Klin k r a d sa id.

Futuristic solutions
So, w h a t is t h e best w a y t o dea l w it h spa ce ju n k ? If t h e sa t ellit e's or bit is n ea r t h e Ea r t h , scien t ist s ca n cr ea t e a con t r olled cr a sh . "On e ca n bu r n som e fu el t o pu sh t h e sa t ellit e dow n , t o w h er e t h e a t m osph er e ca pt u r es it a n d it in cin er a t es u pon r e-en t r y ," Klin k r a d sa id. Klin kr a d a n d Diek m a n n bot h sa id t h ey cou ld im a g in e cr ea t in g a t ow in g ser v ice, w h er e it em s w ou ld be g a t h er ed fr om or bit for disposa l. Bu t t h a t 's st ill a lon g w a y off, t h ey sa id.