PGibson
28 Feb 09
1:30pm
The U.S. is currently tracking 18,000 pieces of debris in orbit above the earth. The importance of monitoring the space junk is due to the potential threat it poses to the approximately 800 commercial and military satellites currently operating in orbit, as well as the International Space Station. The U.S. destroyed a wandering spy satellite last year but fortunately there is no remaining debris in orbit to interfere with other operational satellites. China destroyed one of their old weather satellites less successfully, probably due to the increased altitude, which will leave debris in orbit for another eighty or ninety years. A few weeks ago a Russian communication satellite collided with a U.S. satellite which further stresses the need for successful tracking and control measures. Underlying political agendas and demonstrations were also noted as being part of the satellites destruction which suggests potential security issues as well.
Space debris, while not an immediate threat to lives on the planet, is perhaps another example of an uncalculated consequence of technology. It is actually just space litter, pollution much like the exploding landfills or litter ridden streets that exist on the surface of the planet. Space junk is a global back yard pollution problem with the potential to disrupt many of the services that satellites provide such as weather, communication, and security (not to mention the related costs). The increasing debris in space should be an indication of why technology should be better managed during use. Accidental collisions warrant the desire for additional sensors for monitoring space but I can’t grasp why the mention of debris prevention of clean wasn’t even mentioned. It is currently a small scale problem but one that could escalate in the future with potentially grave results. An ounce of prevention (responsibility) usually goes a long way. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090227/sc_nm/us_space_usa_china
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