Posted on 04/08/2021 7:33:05 PM PDT by Dundee
Australian scientists are hailing a world-first laser designed to shunt potentially deadly space junk out of orbit, fired from a Canberra hilltop.
EOS Space Systems has developed the technology to protect infrastructure worth $900 billion.
The laser, which will be fired from the Mt Stromlo Observatory in Canberra, has been seven years in the making.
It was produced as part of a federally-funded research centre involving EOS, the Australian National University, weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin and the Japanese Institute of Communications and Technology.
EOS Space Systems CEO Dr Ben Greene described it as a "real breakthrough for space technology".
The process involves two lasers.
One is a bright orange beam clearly visible to the naked eye, which penetrates the atmosphere pinpointing the debris.
A second, more powerful but invisible laser is fired at the junk, moving it out of orbit and preventing it from colliding with critical infrastructure like satellites. Dr Greene said space resources are always under threat from space debris because of space pollution.
It has been estimated there's about 130 million pieces of debris in space which are either bits of spacecraft, nuts, bolts, dead satellites, or even urns containing the ashes of people fired into space.
"The risk from space debris is substantial and increasing. Australia is one of the most space dependent countries in the world," Dr Greene told 9News.
"We depend on space for our banking, our navigation, a whole range of crop management, agriculture, logistics, movement of groceries and supplies across the country."
EOS Space Systems has spent seven years working on the technology.
"It's a unique type of laser which we've just grown to right scale and power so we can map the atmosphere then use the maps which are made hundreds of times a second to correct laser beams on the ground so they propagate into space perfectly. That will allow us to apply very high-power laser beams to move space debris in space and make space navigation much safe," Dr Greene said.
It's also hoped this technology could have commercial aspects by communicating with deep space probes.
Experts say it does open the potential for one day something to be destroyed in space, by a laser fired from earth.
The team at Mt Stromlo has been tracking space junk for decades, this is the first time it will have the ability to move space debris out of the way of satellites.
Former Science, now Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews describes herself as a "space junkie".
"What we're doing now is so important," Ms Andrews told 9News.
"Satellites are increasingly central to our everyday life, and with huge money tied up in them, there is a massive economic opportunity in solving the problem," she said.
"This technology also has important communications applications, including the potential to enhance communications in NASA's Moon to Mars mission, complementing the Government's $150 million Moon to Mars initiative."
I am confused, does this just heat the debris and shift the orbit, or does it vaporize stuff?
It “shunts”.
(Somebody had to post this. So I stepped up to the plate.)
“Know your backstop”
It absorbs dollars that are then attached to junk
It bumps it. Here’s hoping it doesn’t bump it into something else. Things moving at 20,000 miles an hour don’t usually take well to being bumped.
A chicom first strike target, eventually.
Can it likewise dispose of Chinese and Indian satellites? Would be good target practice.
Or icey BMs.🤔
I think this laser needs a real world test. I know of a piece of infrastructure by the name of Pelosi and I’d suggest firing this laser at her to see if Satan emerges. The Dems refer to her as a piece of infrastructure. I personally think she’s a piece of.....well, something else.
Thanks! You would think the Aussies could find a better way to waste their taxpayer’s money!
The same method of determining the scintillation in the air and using it to correct the laser beam.
Nice to see it being used.
I’m sure they have a way to make sure that no airplanes fly across the laser beam. I’m pretty sure.
I’m guessing plan is to hit orbital debis with a high powered burst from below. Flash heat and vaporize the near (Earth) side. This would give a little push up on the debris. Hit it enough times and you either completely vaporize it, or push it out far enough to be harmless - beyond geosynchronous orbit. Of course, the damn thing might just come apart too in the process, producing dozens of pieces instead of one. Making a shotgun blast in orbit instead of a single bullet. Not to mention how much energy needs to be pumped into each target, times how many targets, times what percentage of energy is absorbed in the atmosphere. Talk about global warming....
Hasn’t been successfully done yet. Still an Rand D wet dream
Seems like they could just launch the sharks into space and let them deal with all of it.
Like those 21K mph passenger planes we’re going to have, soon?
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