Wasted Space: U.S. Military Looking for Ideas on How to Curb the Threat of Orbiting Junk
Tuesday, September 22, 2009 - 15:56
in Astronomy & Space
Gazing up into the sky on a clear night, the heavens can appear as pristine as a mountain stream. But in truth, at least in Earth's vicinity, the trash factor in space may be more akin to what is found in New York City's East River. The region known as low Earth orbit (extending from 160 to 2,000 kilometers above Earth's surface), which is where many satellites spend their lives and "afterlives," has a litter problem caused by decades of neglect, and it's one that currently lacks an expedient solution. [More]