Tech Briefs reports, “Approximately 8,000 metric tons of space junk now in orbit includes nearly one million individual pieces of debris that are potentially lethal to satellites, space missions, commercial space services, and human lives. With companies like SpaceX, Amazon, and OneWeb launching mega constellations, this number will continue to increase over the coming years.”
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Tag: space junk
Chinese Spacewalkers Install Space-Junk Shielding on Tiangong Space Station
SPACE reports, “Two Chinese astronauts continued installing space debris protection outside the nation’s Tiangong space station” during a July 3 EVA. “Ye Guangfu and Li Cong, two members of the three-person Shenzhou 18 mission, spent about 6.5 hours working outside Tiangong on Wednesday (July 3). Li Guangsu assisted the expedition from inside Tiangong, operating the station’s robotic arm.”
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Threat of Space Junk Increases as Government and Investors Find Workarounds
Reuters reported that a growth in space debris “has led the U.S. government to attempt to set new space hygiene norms, while private companies are also investing in ways to tackle the messy orbital environment.” Thousands of commercial satellites “are being launched into Earth’s orbit at a record pace, driving up the risk of collisions that could spawn swarms of hazardous debris.” US Space Command released a formal list Friday “of what it views as responsible space behaviors, in a bid to steer military norms in orbit.”
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AIAA Statement on New U.S. Position on Destructive Direct-Ascent Anti-Satellite Missile Testing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 19, 2022 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Executive Director Dan Dumbacher made the following statement:
“We applaud the administration’s commitment to not conduct direct-ascent anti-satellite (ASAT) missile tests and call for other spacefaring nations to follow this new international norm for responsible behavior in space. This comes following the Russian Federation’s reckless and irreversible ASAT test last fall, which created more than 1,500 pieces of debris that threatens national security and commercial assets and those aboard the International Space Station. Such a declaration will help preserve the security and sustainability of space going forward. The United States is leading by example, and we hope other nations will make the same commitment to work together and conduct space activities in a responsible, peaceful, and sustainable manner.
AIAA continues to call on the U.S. Congress to address the worsening orbital debris problem, as well as establish a domestic civil space traffic management function before a catastrophic event takes place. We believe this would provide stability and certainty so that the commercial sector can continue to innovate and experiment with new ventures that create a robust space economy.”
Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, AIAA, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell
About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.