Space debris- a growing problem for space scientists
06 Jan 2011
It is not only the municipal authorities that are worried about garbage; even space scientists have similar problems with the junk floating in space. And the fact that more and more nations are joining the space club has not made things any easier for them. Space debris is a growing problem managing which has become a challenge to scientists, with outer space getting dangerously littered.
"Space agencies across the world have initiated discussions on a mechanism for active removal of space debris' through which high-volume waste could be brought back to earth," said Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology scientist V Adimurthy. He was delivering a lecture on new frontiers of space explorations at the Space Summit, as part of the 98th Indian Science Congress.
On the sidelines of the congress, Adimurthy told The Times of India that NASA had a department that monitored space debris. He said India did not have anything on the lines but Isro was thinking in that direction.
Space debris comprises remnants of upper stages of rockets that separate in space to the extent of 45 to 50 per cent. Dumping from space stations adds to it. According to scientists there are more than 30,000 objects more than 10 cm across in size strewn across the earth's immediate space.
According to Adimurthy these could damage operational spacecraft, breaking their thermal protection. He added that these had to be managed "passively and actively."
While passive debris management involved minimising on-orbit break-ups and post-mission disposals into graveyard orbits, active debris removal needed dedicated missions.
He added that it may be required to physically net those bigger pieces of debris and bring them back to earth for safe disposal. He said it might take a long time and lots of money, but it had to be done for the safety of our spacecraft.
