En route to Pluto/
What's up w/ the space waste?
"The New Horizons spacecraft blasted off aboard an Atlas V rocket in a spectacular start to the $700 million mission. Though it is the fastest spacecraft ever launched, capable of reaching 36,000 mph, it will take 9 1/2 years to reach Pluto and the frozen, sunless reaches of the solar system.
"The probe, powered by 24 pounds of plutonium, will not land on Pluto but will photograph it, analyze its atmosphere and send data back across the solar system to Earth.
The launch went off without incident, to the relief of anti-nuclear activists who had feared an accident could scatter lethal radioactive material.
Meanwhile, in near-Earth orbit:
"More than 9,000 pieces of space debris are orbiting the Earth, a hazard that can only be expected to get worse in the next few years. And currently there's no workable and economic way to clean up the mess.
"The pieces of space junk measuring 4 inches or more total some 5,500 tons, according to a report by NASA scientists J.-C. Liou and N. L. Johnson in Friday's issue of the journal Science.
"Even if space launches were halted now, the collection of debris would continue growing as items already in orbit collide and break into more pieces, Liou said in a telephone interview.
"'On the other hand, we are not claiming the sky is falling,' he said, 'We just need to understand what the risks are.'
"The most debris-crowded area is between 550 miles and 625 miles above the Earth, Liou said, meaning the risk is less for manned spaceflight. The International Space Station operates at about 250 miles altitude, and Space Shuttle flights tend to range between 250 miles and 375 miles, he said.
"But the junk can pose a risk to commercial and research flights and other space activities. Much of the debris results from explosions of satellites, especially old upper stages left in orbit with leftover fuel and high pressure fluids."
"The probe, powered by 24 pounds of plutonium, will not land on Pluto but will photograph it, analyze its atmosphere and send data back across the solar system to Earth.
The launch went off without incident, to the relief of anti-nuclear activists who had feared an accident could scatter lethal radioactive material.
Meanwhile, in near-Earth orbit:
"More than 9,000 pieces of space debris are orbiting the Earth, a hazard that can only be expected to get worse in the next few years. And currently there's no workable and economic way to clean up the mess.
"The pieces of space junk measuring 4 inches or more total some 5,500 tons, according to a report by NASA scientists J.-C. Liou and N. L. Johnson in Friday's issue of the journal Science.
"Even if space launches were halted now, the collection of debris would continue growing as items already in orbit collide and break into more pieces, Liou said in a telephone interview.
"'On the other hand, we are not claiming the sky is falling,' he said, 'We just need to understand what the risks are.'
"The most debris-crowded area is between 550 miles and 625 miles above the Earth, Liou said, meaning the risk is less for manned spaceflight. The International Space Station operates at about 250 miles altitude, and Space Shuttle flights tend to range between 250 miles and 375 miles, he said.
"But the junk can pose a risk to commercial and research flights and other space activities. Much of the debris results from explosions of satellites, especially old upper stages left in orbit with leftover fuel and high pressure fluids."
En route to Pluto/
What's up w/ the space waste?
mr damon, 14:14
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