Blocking traffic the perpetrators of the universe

Remove www.thebeijingnews.com space junk · 2-24, 2008 7: 02: 13 ·

Source: Beijing News

193 "United States" a runaway satellites are in orbit, at the appropriate time to hit the other aircraft.

More troubling is that this dual carrying toxic strong fuel tank of a satellite will fall into the Earth's atmosphere, the consequences would be unthinkable. To this end, the United States decided to use a missile to destroy the satellite — sounds a bit like science fiction.

Beijing time on 21 February, the United States successfully with missiles will it out to shoot down spy satellite.

United States Department of defense officials said that the missile launch clearly has reached the destruction of the satellites carrying toxic fuel tank of the main purposes. However, the alert is still not disarm, countless similar fragmentation is wandering in space, they are known as "space junk."

Man with great wisdom to their own behavior extends into space, but these acts of monuments has subsequently become a barrier to further exploration.

Therefore, the work of cleaning up the space junk is inevitable. A variety of new space weapons turns to this goal.

Artist rendering of Cerise satellites were space junk hitting the scene.

Falling in a piece of New Jersey, United States, scientists think that this is a piece of space junk.

LDEF device is scientists used to statistics the number of Live Space Junk a target.

Full of poison's "trash"

The satellite ID is "United States" (US193) 193, international number 2006-057A, up to 2 tons.

"According to its launch by launch vehicle and other information, we believe it is the United States a new generation of photo-reconnaissance satellites with a test satellite. " China's space technology Research Institute researcher II-Ho said.

"193" in the Uni

ted States on 14 December 2006 launch. After the launch, the satellite will fault rate is now. Solar array couldn't open; computer system is broken. Soon, the satellite and ground lost contact and out of control. It has been placed to look of spy satellites, has reduced the space junk.

Scientists expect out of satellite 2008 6 March around falling into the Earth's atmosphere.

Worse, the satellite carrying toxic strong fuel tank containing 453 kilograms of toxic rocket fuel hydrazine (hydrazine). Hydrazine is also called the hydrazine, who inhaled will damage lung tissue. II-Ho explained: "hydrazine fuel on human beings are very hurt, but there are many spacecraft with hydrazine fuel, we are currently improving the fuel, like rockets used are non-toxic, non-polluting kerosene, but now many spacecraft or hydrazine fuel. ”

If the "United States 193" satellite of hydrazine with fuel tank fell to the ground, after passing through the atmosphere can cause an area of two football field-wide personnel were killed or injured.

This failure might fall on South satellite, 58.5 degrees north latitude, a region between any of, the possibility of falling within the territory of Poland, and therefore it security threats are large.

To this end, 4 January this year, the United States mobilized many specialists, research the feasibility of missile shot down satellites and related technologies.

Is it possible to use a missile hit satellite, this requires what technical means, to each of the difficulties are listed. Ultimately, the United States, it was decided to use a missile combat this satellite. The best time of the attacks in the 21 to 25 May.

United States has considered three opportunities, thus arranged three cruisers, deployed in three different regions.

The first strike in 21 days. If it fails, then call the second coin; there is no need to play the first three — and then not down, just waitfor it to fall.

However, this deployment seem a bit "superfluous".

21 February, the first missile hit the satellite.

Satellite into "trash"

In 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first satellite to "RS-Nick No. 1", which also entered the space age.

But then people do not know that he will also be various messy artificial articles promoting space. "RS-Nick No. 1" at the end of the 3 weeks of life, also in geosynchronous orbit on running a three-month period, and finally falling into the atmosphere. It is human access to space age milestone was the first "space debris".

"Space debris" more often referred to as "space junk."

How to define these special artifacts, the scientific community has been disputed, but whether the "useful" is the most commonly used criteria.

"Space junk mainly has three sources.

II-Ho "explained that one is launching into the orbit of an object, such as rocket last stage, payload and related objects.

The second is the end of the satellite and space equipment.

Satellite launch, satellite failure after failure is not unusual. II-Ho pointed out that, in the solar system space, especially in the near-Earth orbit by the space exploration activities produce, abandonment of debris and particulate matter a lot.

"The last category is the drop in manned space flight.

" Astronauts in space walk time abandoned wrench, gloves, camera lights, etcAlso become space garbage. If an explosion occurred in the space of spacecraft, will produce a lot of fragmentation. To date, such space explosion has occurred 150 times, produces approximately 70 000 diameter greater than 1 cm of debris, with 17 million remaining on the track.

As the human space activities, ongoing, space junk will increase.

"Space junk will also have an avalanche effect. " China Science and technology museum planning and DevelopmentDivision, Dr. Zhaoyang, pointed out that the high volume of space junk, mutual impact of frequency increases, resulting in a more fragmented, the process cycle, just like a snowball, space junk will more and more.

"Now more than 10 cm of space junk than 10000, 1 cm to 10 cm of at least 10 000.

" II-Ho pointed out that according to the volume size, the space junk is divided into diameter 10 cm above the large debris, 1 cm to 10 cm of small fragments, and 1 cm below the tiny fragments.

Awareness gradual upgrade

In fact, the study of the space junk is the hotspot in recent years.

As early as 1963, man-made objects in space activities may impact was raised. In 1966 and 1970, the implementation of the "Apollo program" and "sky Lab" program, the United States Air Space Agency (NASA), taking into account the space debris may impact. In the mid-1970s, NASA Langley Research Center affiliated with the scientists noted that space explosion to quantity of space debris has risen dramatically, the actual number is the catalogue number 2.5 times. Late 1970s, Johnson Space Center research on space debris collide with each other and the number is a chain reaction that debris avalanche possibility of increase. In 1981, NASA released the first report on the State of the report of space debris, highlighted the growing severity of the problem. The same year, NASA has developed a 10-year plan "space debris assessment", an investment of $ 1470.

The early 1980s, there has been a spate of several space explosion produced a large number of fragments, aerospace sector more alert.

In 1986, the United States Government set up the "inter-agency space group" in order to strengthen research on space debris.

In 1988, 11 February, the United States President Ronald Reagan signed the United States on space debris national space policy.

In 1989, the European Space Agency Board approved activities on space debris. August 1, 1995, NASA space restriction fragments of the guidelines and assessment procedures.

In fact, in the understanding of space junk, States are aware of space future interests involving the countries of the world, and also the need for joint action in countries around the world to solve the problem.

1993: December 10, the United Nations has made the first 39 on space debris, and in February 1994, space debris topics included in the science and Technology Subcommittee 31st meeting agenda.

At the moment, NASA affiliated research institutes have published the 2007 space security report.

The report noted that space to walk through the space situation in the garbage. In the space around the Earth is full of space junk, these high speed flight junk run to in orbit of Earth satellite and weather satellite work constitutes a significant threat.

Small size, big damage

24 July 1996, in 678 km altitude has been working for more than a year of France Earth radio environment research satellite Cerise sudden roll accidents.

Originally the satellite 6 m long balance rods and 10 years ago to launch of Ariane (Ariane) V16 rocket debris collision occurs, leading to the accident.

In order to obtain the space shuttle and space station orbit typical run (from the ground about 500km) space debris, 1984 NASA launched a car-sized installation — long-term exposure unit (LDEF), and in 1990.

Researchers examine found in its surface, there are 3 million more are traces of space debris, where more than one diameter greater than 5000 0.5mm, the largest impact crater diameter 5mm.

Space Junk tend to a few thousand meters per second to dozens of kilometers of speed and high speed collisions occurred spacecraft.

In the collision and to release the energy equivalent to the same quality TNT explosives more than 10 times, with strong destructive force. Evenif the impact did not enable spacecraft broken, but the resulting Spall, insulation breakdown, leaks and deformation can also degrade the performance of the spacecraft, or cause the failure of spacecraft part or even whole.

But if this is the careful design of spacecraft, fully taking into consideration the protection on space debris, but still have slipped through the net: solar panels, communication antennas and other sensitive devices.

"In addition to the harm caused in space, the space junk is also against the ground.

" Zhaoyang pointed out. Large spacecraft in stopped working after becoming space junk, ultimately fall. Because they are bulky, after the atmosphere will not be completely gutted by this body will fall to the ground, a tremendous impact energy, on the surface of life and property security constitutes a serious threat.

But if a nuclear-powered spacecraft fall or after earth near orbit (such as solar probe Ulysses), due to the large spread of radioactive materials and pollution, the consequences will be particularly severe.

In 1978, the former Soviet Union with nuclear devices "universe-954" satellite debris is dropped on the North of Canada。 If the space junk movements without understanding, especially in the nuclear-powered spacecraft without understanding them once fall, will be on the environment-chemical and radioactive contamination.

New thematic interviews reporter Li Jian-

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