Space Debris: Rockets left in space can cause trouble on Earth

Space Debris: There is a six to 10 percent chance of a human being seriously injured or killed in the next decade from rocket fragments released into orbit. Researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada said governments need to take collective action and that rocket fragments return to Earth safely after use. This will increase the cost of launch but the risk of life can be reduced. “Is risking human lives at the cost of business acceptable, or should we talk about security if we can?” And the important thing here is that we can get protection from risk.

Fragments can re-enter the atmosphere uncontrollably

The researchers said that when things like satellites are sent into space, parts of the rocket they use are often left in orbit. method can come back into the atmosphere. Most of the material would perish in the atmosphere but some lethal fragments could hit the ground. The study, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, analyzed more than 30 years of data from a public satellite table and estimated the risk to human life over the next 10 years.

Unused fuel and batteries cause explosion in orbit

To date, the potential for damage to the Earth’s surface (or air traffic in the atmosphere) from satellite and rocket debris has been considered negligible. Most studies of such space debris have focused on the in-orbit risk posed by inactive satellites, which can hinder the safe operation of a functioning satellite. Unused fuel and batteries also cause an in-orbit explosion which generates additional waste. But as the number of entries into the rocket launch business grows—and moves from government to private enterprise—it is highly likely that the number of accidents, both in space and on Earth, as following the launch of the Chinese Long March 5B, will increase. will also increase

There are a number of technologies that make it entirely possible to control debris re-entry, but they are costly to implement. For example, spacecraft can be ‘inactivated’, allowing unused energy (such as fuel or batteries) to be spent instead of stored after the spacecraft’s lifetime is over. The choice of orbit for the satellite can also reduce the potential for debris generation. A passive satellite can be programmed to be carried into low Earth orbit, where it will burn up. There are also attempts to launch reusable rockets, for example, SpaceX has demonstrated and Blue Origin is developing. These create very little debris, although there will be some debris from paint and metal shavings when they return to Earth in a controlled manner.

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