Satellites

Thousands of pieces of debris are orbiting the Earth, travelling at over 27,000 km/h.1 This space junk can collide with and destroy essential satellites, knocking out communications – and in turn creating even more junk. As the layer of junk gets thicker, it’s becoming more dangerous to launch satellites and send astronauts into space. Our lifestyle depends on satellites in orbit, but space junk poses a real danger.

Space junk includes old dead satellites, fuel tanks, everyday rubbish from past space stations, lost tools from spacewalks, and even astronauts’ gloves, along with natural debris from space. Junk can range in size from dust to very tiny fragments (called ‘bullets’) to full-size satellites (‘cars’).

Low Earth orbit is 500 km above the Earth’s surface. This is where most of the junk is, and is also the region where we have had most manned spacecraft and many scientific satellites.

Middle Earth orbit is about 2000 km above the Earth’s surface. This is where you find the GPS system of satellites, orbiting twice a day.

Geostationary orbit is 36,000 km above Earth. Satellites here stay above a fixed point on the Earth and are usually for communications, television signals and monitoring the weather. They orbit once a day.

Satellites

15 Comments CherryPie on Aug 28th 2014

15 Responses to “Space Junk”

  1. ....peter:) says:

    That’s a lot of junk Cherie… it’s starting to look like the plastic bags and bottle islands that are found in the Pacific Ocean…
    on Earth… nothing really goes away… except the space junk :)
    ….peter:)

  2. Sackerson says:

    Seen the film Gravity? The rubbish storms are terrifying.

  3. Mike says:

    Doesn’t bear thinking about, does it? It’s far too long since I visited the Science Museum and you’ve reminded me what a diverse place it is. Thanks for your kind words on A Bit About Britain – we certainly share an interest in heritage and interesting sites and I look forward to future mutual comments. BTW – interesting to hear about the war gaming. I haven’t quite worked out how a Blogger blog follows a Wordpress blog, but no doubt I’ll get there eventually!

  4. rusty duck says:

    Scary stuff. One day no doubt there will be orbiting refuse trucks!

  5. JD says:

    Litter? In space?
    Why so surprised, that is only to be expected. It has always been the ‘mindset’ of industry since the beginning of the industrial revolution: do your business, make stuff, sell it, move on to the next ‘new toy’ and leave your mess behind.
    London-
    http://www.derelictlondon.com/waterways-and-wharves.html
    Detroit-
    http://all-that-is-interesting.com/abandoned-detroit-photos#1

    ….and worst of all is this one-
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2195590/3-000-ton-timebomb-shipwrecked-Thames-estuary.html

    Sorry but I hate litter louts! :)

  6. Isn’t it sad that we litter on earth and now around earth in space

  7. Bernard says:

    They need a 2000W ’space hoover’ and quick!
    The EU are going to ban Hoovers over 1600W from next month. :-(
    Hope you are well? Very busy here with lots of ‘Organ outings’. I’m beginning to feel my age – and unfortunately – it’s not 21. ;-)

    • CherryPie says:

      It is nice to hear from you :-)

      A ’space hoover’ that would be a great engineering project. I wonder if we can find someone to fund it…

      I think we need to find a way to ban the EU silly nonsense laws!!!

      I am well thankyou, but like you busy.

      It sound like you have been having fun over the summer with your ‘Organ outings’ :-)