Space junk Why it is time to clean up the skies.doc

Space junk: Why it is time to clean up the skies By Sharon Weinberger Last year a study reported that space debris had reached a level at which frequent collisions and spacecraft failures are increasingly likely. (Copyright: Science Photo Library) Near misses The International Space Station has survived close shaves with space debris - Nasa estimates anything larger than a baseball is a potentially catastrophic threat. (Copyright: Nasa) Sudden impact The seventh space shuttle flight returned in 1983 with a 4mm-deep crater in the front window from a collision with a paint chip less than 0.2mm in length. (Copyright: Nasa) Litter picker The Swiss Space Center’s CleanSpace One concept for catching space debris is inspired by the way sea anemones wrap their tentacles around their prey. (Copyright: EPFL) Security system The Space Fence program aims to develop a radar that uses a higher wavelength frequency than current surveillance systems to spot smaller debris. (Copyright: Lockheed Martin) Recycling junk Darpas proposed Phoenix spacecraft could salvage and reuse components in order to rebuild decommissioned satellites. (Copyright: Darpa) NavigationPrevious NavigationNext Debris piling up around Earth that could seriously damage spacecraft and satellites has reached a tipping point. So how are we going to get rid of it? Related  HYPERLINK /future/storyasteroid-mining-time-to-invest  Asteroid mining: Time to invest?  IN BBC NEWS:  HYPERLINK http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment ISS crew in space junk alert  The crew of the International Space Station (ISS) briefly took refuge in escape capsules as a piece of space junk hurtled by. The six astronauts were awoken early and scrambled into escape capsules. Nasa ground control had spotted a piece of space debris hurtling towards their temporary home aboard the International Space Station 244 miles (390 km) above the Earth. The fast-moving junk was spotted just one day before its