What are the measures taken to control the problem of space junk?

There are four techniques that can move debris from heavily trafficked orbits: (1) deorbiting (the deliberate, forced reentry of a space object into the Earth’s atmosphere by application of a retarding force, usually via a propulsion system) at EOL; (2) orbital lifetime reduction (accelerating the natural decay of …

How does the ISS avoid hitting space junk?

The ISS has Whipple shielding to resist damage from small MMOD; however, known debris with a collision chance over 1/10,000 are avoided by maneuvering the station.

How can we protect spacecraft from space debris?

Whipple bumper shields, however, will generally provide far better protection against high-velocity orbital debris than the same mass of monolithic shielding. Monolithic shields are typically used to protect against small mass and lower-velocity impacts.

How is space debris managed?

To remove space debris, particularly the large and more dangerous objects, we have to get close to it and maintain the same speed as each object. We then must somehow attach to it, and move it into a lower orbit or reenter it directly into the atmosphere, where it will burn up upon reentry.

How does space junk affect the environment?

The main threat to our weather from space junk is rather indirect: the density of the junk may become so great that it could hinder our ability to use weather satellites, and hence to monitor weather changes caused by our own ground-based pollution.

Why is space debris management necessary?

Debris poses a growing threat to satellites and can prevent the use of valuable orbits in the future. Many pieces of debris are too small to monitor but too large to shield satellites against. Based on increase in space debris, certain measures have been taken to address this global issue.

What are the solutions for space pollution?

Laser brooms, boosters, nets and harpoons Most of the efforts focus on mitigation and avoidance of generating space junk in the first place. For example, rockets have to use up all of their fuel and reactants, to minimize the risk of an unexpected explosion.

What risks does space junk pose to space exploration?

Fortunately, at the moment, space junk doesn’t pose a huge risk to our exploration efforts. The biggest danger it poses is to other satellites in orbit. These satellites have to move out of the way of all this incoming space junk to make sure they don’t get hit and potentially damaged or destroyed.