Posted on 07/10/2018 5:31:36 PM PDT by BenLurkin
The operation comes less than a week after the agency released a new report about the huge amount of debris in space. That report found a total of almost 20,000 pieces of space junk in orbit as of the end of 2017 more than 8,000 lbs. (3,628 kilograms) of dead spacecraft and their remnants.
On Monday (July 9), ESA controllers nudged CryoSat 2, which studies glaciers, higher up into Earth's atmosphere after scientists calculated that the satellite had more than a 1 in 10,000 probability of crashing into the piece of space junk, which the agency hasn't publicly identified
That was enough to keep CryoSat 2 safe but now the satellite's drivers need to get it back onto its normal orbital path. That maneuver is scheduled for Thursday (July 12). According to ESA, this week's detour is the second of the year for CryoSat 2, which has made 14 similar maneuvers in its eight-year lifetime.
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
“That report found a total of almost 20,000 pieces of space junk....”
Really amazing that they can keep track of it all. But I bet the guy still heads out to NASA (or wherever) in the morning and says “Hey Honey!? Have you seen my car keys?”
It would be justice if it were hit by a comet.
*ping*
Several years ago I knew (from friends in the tracking business) that they were still tracking a glove that was jettisoned by one of our astronauts after a space walk during the Gemini program.
Space-capades!
8000 pounds divided by 20,000 tracked pieces of junk, less than 1/2 pound average, so while half are larger some are much smaller...
And we have been doing this for decades.
IMHO, given we have had missile defense systems in design for almost 60 years now (Nike Zeus https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike_Zeus) and ABM treaty has been withdrawn for over a decade now....I wonder...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.