2 old satellites will buzz each other over Pittsburgh tonight. Here's how to see the space junk.

[Admin]

The potential (but unlikely) collision of two old satellites will be visible in the eastern U.S. today (Jan. 29) at at 6:39 p.m. EST. Here's how to see it.

2 old satellites will buzz each other over Pittsburgh tonight. Here's how to see the space junk. : Read more

 

[Gordon Jenkins]

SMACKDOWN! UPDATE! KESSLER SYNDROME DANGER HAS PASSED, for now.
"Thankfully our latest data following the event shows no evidence of new debris. To be sure, we will perform a further assessment upon the next pass of both objects over Kiwi Space Radar occurring later tonight." -LeoLabs, Twitter

https://twitter.com/x/status/1222702184711757825

View: https://twitter.com/LeoLabs_Space/status/1222702184711757825

 

[Phillip Huggan]

I've sketched out a a de-orbit mission for a satellite or wounded satellite at risk to enact a Kessler Syndrome.
Hitting with a conventional explosion threatens to fragment it. EMPs, Nuclear bombs and shrapnel are obviously no good at LEO. Using gas pressure is best. I suggest to intercept a wounded satellite, an unmanned rocket of compressed oxygen, or hydrogen, or helium gas be sent from Earth, to an orbit maybe a few kilometers above the wounded satellite and it gradually descends until it is ahead of the satellite. The rocket will need to cease firing its primary engine. It will have matched the velocity of the satellite. It turns around 180 degrees so its nose faces the satellite. It opens up its nose. The compressed gas is vented, immediately exerting pressure on the satellite, causing it to drop to a lower orbit. Venting gas will cause the rocket to increase speed, so it must begin pitching up and down, diving below and above the satellite to maintain the match of the satellite's orbiting velocity. As this pitching becomes more pronounced, less and less of the gas will impact the satellite. Eventually the satellite pitches to an ocean. It will be hard to get above the satellite if there is already a bad Kessler Syndrome, without Lunar logistics. With more time this mission may be made to work given existing space infrastructure.

 

[Phillip Huggan]

The volatiles strategy might be too hard as friction with the atmosphere at LEO is variable; maybe quantumly entangled light sensors are needed to measure the oncoming flight path's gas density 1st. Deorbiting a satellite using lasers from another satellite is not classified and will work. A ship matches the orbit of an object to be de-orbited. It thrusts above. A laser is turned on aimed at the debris. The laser ablates the side of the debris facing away from Earth. If it is tumbling, perhaps one axis of tumble is first eliminated by selectively turning the laser on and off to zero a given tumble axis. This selective strategy also can be used to *minimize* dangerous reflections back to the laser satellite. Ground lasers being reflected will eventually work too.
If a Kessler Syndrome happens, it will be necessary to have these satellites at GEO, in Cis-Lunar Station, or the Moon. Maybe Cis-Lunar should focus on this technology until we capture suitable NEO asteroids and turn them into laser satellites.