Junkyard in Space - The Dangers of Orbital Debris

If you saw the movie "Gravity," you have a sense of the dangers of orbital debris-and the risk is very real. More than 25,000 objects over four inches in diameter are tracked by the US Space Force, and millions of others are smaller or untracked-everything from derelict satellites to dead rocket stages to bits of shrapnel and even just chunks of frozen rocket fuel is there. And even something the size and mass of a paint chip, traveling at orbital speeds, can take out a window of a spacecraft. We're joined by Dr. John Crassidis from the University of Buffalo, an expert in orbital debris and its dangers. Look out below; this is going to be a hot one!
Headlines:
• SpaceX Falcon 9 launch failure investigation underway after engine explosion during upper stage relight
• James Webb Space Telescope celebrates 2nd anniversary with new "Cosmic Penguin" image
• Boeing Starliner return date still uncertain as NASA and Boeing review data
Mailbag:
• Zaheer Mohammed congratulates the National Space Society's Ad Astra magazine on winning the Marcom Awards in 2023
Main Topic: Orbital Debris Discussion with Dr. John Crassidis
• Orbital debris defined as anything in space that is no longer useful, ranging from paint flakes to rocket bodies
• Debris moves at extremely high speeds (17,500 mph), making collisions highly destructive
• Kessler Syndrome: cascading collisions could render low Earth orbit unusable within 50 years if debris growth is not slowed
• Approximately 47,000 tracked objects softball-size or larger, with millions more smaller pieces
• Challenges in tracking debris due to limited coverage, object tumbling, and modeling uncertainties
• Ownership and responsibility for debris removal complicated by lack of international agreements
• Current remediation techniques not feasible due to cost and technological limitations
• Urgent need for debris mitigation through international cooperation and improved satellite design
• Future threats extend beyond low Earth orbit, with debris already accumulating around the Moon
• Importance of investing in research to develop effective debris removal technologies
Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik
Guest: Dr. John Crassidis
This Week in Space episode 119
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