SPACE DEBRISSPACE DEBRIS

ORIGENORIGEN• The Cold War were the conflicts between

USA and USSR (1946-1991).

• Since then more than 4200 launches are dirtying Earth orbit.

•1957: the USSR sent Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite. This inagurated the space race.

•1961-1988: EEUU and URSS sent to the space satellites with nuclear reactors and polonium, this causes radiactive rain.

WHAT’S SPACE DEBRIS?WHAT’S SPACE DEBRIS?Is the collection of objects in orbit around earth that were created by humans but no longer serve any useful purpose.

COMPOSITION:COMPOSITION:• Rockets.

• Defunct satellites.

• Explosion and collision fragments.

• Paint and dust.

• Tools lost by astronauts (pens, lamps, bags ...)

There are 300,000 objects flying over ourplanet and the number increases 5% every

year.

CAUSES. CAUSES. Two events have increased the space

debris:• 2007: China tested an anti-satellite

weapon and destroyed a weather probe, it became more than 150000 fragments.

• 2009: two satellites, one active and another no, collide in space and create more fragments.

CONSECUENCES:CONSECUENCES:• Kessler syndrome.

• It can causes accidents in Space Shuttle, spacecraft…

A fleck of paint left this crater on the surface of Space

Shuttle.

SOLUTIONS:SOLUTIONS:• Huge networks or “umbrellas” to collect

the fragments.

• NASA wants to use low-power laser from earth to divert this debris.

• ONU passed a law forbidding send to the orbit any objects that could cause problems in 300 years.

SOURCES:SOURCES:• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_debris • http://www.europapress.es

/sociedad/ciencia/noticia-metodo-espanol-recoger-basura-espacial-20111212125153.html

• www.rtve.es• http://www.elpais.com

/articulo/sociedad/basura/espacial/vigilancia/elpepusoc/20110524elpepusoc_5/Tes

"Al espacio se le acaba el espacio, nos estamos

encerrando en una atmósfera metálica.”

Esther Mandiá García.