ST Alpha - "Several things: Larger debris is easier to track. Any "plate" heavy or dense enough to stop, catch, or destroy debris would likely be too heavy to put" (Reading a Post)

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In response to "With all this talk about space debris and crap hitting the shuttle/ISS, why can't they just send up a big satellite with a kind of plate in the front" by oblique

Several things: Larger debris is easier to track. Any "plate" heavy or dense enough to stop, catch, or destroy debris would likely be too heavy to put

Posted by TWuG Sep 8 '09, 06:56

in orbit and might itself generate debris as it is struck.

There are test systems being designed that would deploy on defunct pieces of space equipment that would hurry along their descent into the atmosphere. But we're talking a reduction to 15-20 years before burn up versus 20-25 years without the systems.

Responses:

How about a giant fan to just blow it down to earth? -- nm - oblique Sep 8, 06:59 22
- Fans only work in an atmosphere. A fan in open space would generate no thrust. -- nm - TWuG Sep 8, 07:05 14
  - What about a giant firehose? -- nm - oblique Sep 8, 07:07 13
    - Unfortunately, all those water droplets would freeze and themselves become dangerous projectiles. -- nm - TWuG Sep 8, 07:10 5
      - I know you're going to say "space *is* a vacuum", but what about a vacuum? -- nm - oblique Sep 8, 07:11 3
        
        or maybe a giant burlap sack. -- nm - Reagen Sep 8, 07:17
        
        Well, the problem is that a vacuum won't work in a vacuum. It operates through pressure differentials which you couldn't achieve in space. -- nm - TWuG Sep 8, 07:17
        
        "He's switched her from suck to blow." -- nm - TFox Sep 8, 07:16
      - Or bring about a Piers Anthony-style apocalypse. -- nm - Reagen Sep 8, 07:11
    - They should just laser it. With lasers. -- nm - Loyola Sep 8, 07:09 5
      - I don't think sharks will work in space -- nm - oblique Sep 8, 07:09 4
        
        Monkeys thrive in space, I believe. -- nm - Loyola Sep 8, 07:11 3
        
        I'm going to nominate you to my board of directors for ideas like that -- nm - oblique Sep 8, 07:12 2
        
        Cool. Can I come to meetings barefoot? -- nm - Loyola Sep 8, 07:15 1
        
        That might be kind of tricky, since the meetings are in space. - BB Sep 8, 07:54
    - I think it's time to cut you off from Looney Tunes. -- nm - Reagen Sep 8, 07:08
- How would a fan work with no air to push? -- nm - Reagen Sep 8, 07:04 6
  - I, for one, applaud oblique's new quest to clean up space. -- nm - Loyola Sep 8, 07:06 5
    - I'm kind of troubled that he thinks it's okay to dump the stuff back on Earth. We have enough problems dealing with trash and waste already. -- nm - TWuG Sep 8, 07:11 4
      - No dumping, it will all burn up, see? -- nm - oblique Sep 8, 07:12 3
        
        and if it doesn't, there's still plenty of room in New Jersey -- nm - decline Sep 8, 07:12 2
        
        If New Jersey suddenly was redubbed "The US Space Debris National Conservatory", the planet would sing as one in gleeful harmonies. -- nm - TFox Sep 8, 07:15
        
        Besides, who wouldn't want to make a playground out of recycled space junk? -- nm - oblique Sep 8, 07:14

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Several things: Larger debris is easier to track. Any "plate" heavy or dense enough to stop, catch, or destroy debris would likely be too heavy to put

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