Turns Out India’s ASAT Shot Created A Space Junkyard After All

Hot Air ^ | April 2, 2019 | Jazz Shaw

[C19fan]

Last week, when I wrote about India’s recently proven ASAT technology that took down one of their own satellites, it appears I gave them a bit too much benefit of the doubt. Among the various concerns raised by this show of force was the fear that they might generate a new cluster of orbital debris, posing even more of a risk to rockets, other satellites, and the International Space Station. At the time, India claimed there was nothing to worry about because they had intentionally put their satellite in a very low orbit and the remains would soon fall and burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere.

[C19fan]

What does one expect from a 3rd World literal ***t hole that thinks it is a major player.

[Delta 21]

Mr. Worf. Recalibrate the deflector shield!

[thoughtomator]

So they do ASAT just like they do IT.

[cyclotic]

My son drives satellites for NASA, I’ll have to ask him if this will present any problems for his particular ones.

[Openurmind]

Could start a chain reaction and put us all back into the pre-sputnik era.

[Vermont Lt]

It it would be almost impossible to fix it for years. It would be like trying to fly down range at a rifle range that is always live.

[Telepathic Intruder]

Low earth orbit is starting to look like my bedroom when I was a teenager. Except that the junk is flying at mach 25 and costs $10,000 per pound.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

This has long been such a huge problem that the US needs to step up with an orbiting space detritus clean up project. I know they have been talking about it since the 1970s.

“Debris left in orbits below 370 miles (600 km) normally fall back to Earth within several years. At altitudes of 500 miles (800 km), the time for orbital decay is often measured in decades.”

This presents several possibilities. The most obvious is to deflect the higher debris to lower orbits.

[Zhang Fei]

Seems to me that satellites should now be designed to take space junk impacts without affecting either their orbits or functions. That would include armor, an independent means of propulsion and perhaps anti-junk sensors, as well as weaponry.

[logi_cal869]

I have a bridge for sale...

[logi_cal869]

I have a bridge for sale...

[libstripper]

They should have spent a few rupees to see Sandy Bullock in “Gravity” to seed the damage orbiting space junk can do. Sometimes fiction does a very good job depicting reality; that move did.

[null and void]

FYI.

Something about imagination level comes to mind...

[Openurmind]

Since it would take very little thrust to change it’s direction, I would say out and away might be better. Once they are out of orbit they will continue on their own. Send them all into the sun.

[reed13k]

I see a business opportunity here. hmmm makes me hate the changes made to patent law over that past years. Since first to file is no longer the standard.

[Tonytitan]

Seems to me that satellites should now be designed to take space junk impacts without affecting either their orbits or functions. That would include armor, an independent means of propulsion and perhaps anti-junk sensors, as well as weaponry.

It would be too heavy to launch. Or cost you $50,000 per pound to launch it.

[Aevery_Freeman]

LOL!

It would seem so, wouldn't it?

[Zhang Fei]

[It would be too heavy to launch. Or cost you $50,000 per pound to launch it. ]

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At some point, when enough satellites are destroyed by debris, anyone thinking of launching new ones will have to take this attrition into consideration and plan accordingly. The question is whether the cost of launching multiple satellites exceeds the cost of putting into orbit one satellite that will chew up debris and spit it out, so to speak. Of course, once armed satellites start becoming the norm, we would now have a new kind of arms race in space.

[Zhang Fei]

[It would be too heavy to launch. Or cost you $50,000 per pound to launch it. ]

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The space shuttle weighed over 80 tons, more than an Abrams tank. I expect hardening, arming and adding sensors to a satellite would add some weight, but launching the augmented package into orbit should present no blue sky-type technological challenges.

[SgtHooper]

Let’s get together and sell them Space Debris Impact Insurance! What? What! What? WHAT!!