[js1138]

IMHO, they need to do something about SPACE DEBRIS. There's all kinds of junk flying around up there that would wreak havoc if it collided with an 18,000 MHP space shuttle. It might already have.

Space junk is an ongoing problem. Most of the bits big enough to bring down the shuttle are tracked by radar.

Most of it is orbiting in the same direction, so the relative speed is not 18,000 mph. You could really hurt someone by launching a bucket of bolts against the earth's spin. Remember that when the alien invaders come.

[Xthe17th]

Most of the bits big enough to bring down the shuttle are tracked by radar. I disagree. MOST of the junk up there is TOO SMALL to be tracked by radar, let alone be seen by an approaching vessel (even though they wouldn't have time to do anything about it) which is thus the crux of the problem.

I stand partially corrected on the relative velocities in this regard: there are different orbit heights and at some point one gets to geosynchronous which isn't moving wrt the Earth. Thus, any debris from a geosynchronous deployment would yield the same result as collision with a stationary object, ie relative 18,000 mph if impacted by a shuttle.