debris prevention prize

An article of www.welt.de is speaking of a net or web to catch rocket-sized debris and calls for regulatory measures to prevent further increase of the amount of orbital debris.

What about a Centennial Challenges Prize for a that net or web? The article didn't say anything about participation of NASA in a debris conference the article is reporting about but such a prize could be quite a better regulatory idea than everything else perhaps because it's a positive incentive.

The article is mentioning tethers for deceleration of rockets too but for a prize I would prefer the web...



Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist)

BUMMER

And I have all ready posted the simple solution at http://www.space-talk.com/ForumE/showthread.php3?threadid=3172&pagenumber=2

I am not sure if we are talking about the same problem. I understand the post you are linking to as if you are talking about the debris at the launch of Discovery - do I understand correct? What I had in mind in my post is orbital debris.

Regarding the launch of Space Shuttle I assist your idea.



Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist)

Your right my mistake.

You didn't a mistake - the term debris is a general term which I a long time didn't know to be used for pieces falling off during launch too. And there is the term "space junk" too.

May be that the term requires deaggregation into orbital debris, launch debris and interplanetary debris if there are significant differences between them. This seems to be the case regarding their speed, direction of movement and objects in danger to be impacted. To this I would add the aspect that orbital debris could be recycled in orbit and doesn't need to be brought there - which isn't the case reagrding launch debris and interplanetary debris.

So debris could be subject to several Centennial Challenges prizes perhaps.



Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist)

This is a little off topic, but has anyone watched the anime series, PlanetES? It's a great realistic space drama based on the idea of debris collection in the mid-21st century. The first DVD (R1) includes an interesting interview with the NASA group chartered with tracking and planning the removal of space debris left by orbital missions.

One way to tackle the problem with ATK's new proposed line of vehicles:
http://www.astronautix.com/craft/enemover.htm One use of HLLV

http://www.astronautix.com/craft/globis.htm
Use fewer numbers of bigger comsats--with margin for better hanrdening and better power reserves to cut through jamming.

This is a potential future market. An "interceptor" could be sent to match orbits with a dead satellite or bit of debris that had managed to find itself a stable orbit, capture it, and move it to a orbital "junk yard". No sense in deorbiting material that could be recycled where it is at its most expensive.
The valuable or historically significant objects could be returned to Earth for auction to museums and others who just have to have a bit of space history.

Is the original Sputnik still up there or did it spin down?

Of course this orbital jockeying would be horribly consuming of fuel, and lots of legal issues spring to mind, salvage law and liability to name a few. There is also the fact that some had pretty nasty volatiles or radioactives aboard, and some of the governmental/military ones no doubt have self-destruct boobytraps...

Maybe not such a good idea?

Actually, its the smaller debris that should also post a worry.

Objects that are too small to track but large enough to cause damage post a definite threat to spacecraft.

Defunct spacecraft, if fully and properly passivated should pose a reduced risk, especially if placed in a 25 year decay orbit or a non-operational orbit (e.g. supersynch).

What we need is something that can deorbit/move old and dangerous debris out of operational orbits, preferably into a decay orbit. Some sort of giant fly paper for debris would be good, but I don't think we have anything like that right now.

- Alistair

A large slab of aerogel at one end and a grappler on the other for larger pieces. Solar power and impacts upon the aerogel used to boost you to larger pieces higher up perhaps.

That might work for very specific orbits, but I was thinking about the sheer volume of debris in general. I've heard of laser brooms, but I don't think anyone is seriously considering that yet.

- Alistair

You launch several aerogel slabs so you won't have to match orbital speed precisely. It captures the material like Stardust, and it you position it right--the impacts subsitute as thrust instead of burns. For things higher up where you need a lot of fuel...one more payload for HLLV:
http://www.astronautix.com/craft/enemover.htm

And yes, it has to be this big to do it right.

I'd expect LARGE aerogel panels that would to be one method. The LADC sensor for the ISS should help in the development of these, if the LADC gets funding.

Deorbiting or otherwise removing derelict spacecraft/rocket bodies will also need to be done. I can't see this being done by a government agency. Once the first commercial satellite gets taken out by debris (more of a question of when in my book), insurance companies will want something done (more debris shielding or less debris).

- Alistair