ISS crew throws out space junk?

[jammers]

Putting explosives on a manned object isn't that crazy an idea. There are already explosives on the space shuttle so that it can be destroyed if it begins to go off course and poses a safety hazard. For example, the SRBs were blown up after Challenger broke up.

 

[erioladastra]

"How much extra would it cost just to attach such junk securely to some point on the exterior of the ISS. "<br /><br />Not a matter of cost but dynamicaly stability. There was no good way to permanently fix it to the ISS. Yeah, probably some billion dollar option could be developed but why? And definitely not in time for its lifetime to expire.

 

[erioladastra]

"Also, the EAS (ammonia tank) may react differently than things that previously fell to earth. The odds of injury could end up being much higher (or lower). "<br /><br />Correct - though we have a fair bit of experience now. But yes, those are estimates and due to the nature of it the 1/4300 is the HIGH end of the estimate. So likely it will be better.

 

[holmec]

Won't the skin of the tank burn up and teh amonia vaporize??? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[holmec]

I wonder if it would be feasable to just throw out trash from future space stations via a electromagnetic linear motor. Maybe if the cargo ship was being reused. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[erioladastra]

"Won't the skin of the tank burn up and teh amonia vaporize??? "<br /><br />Tank, not likely. However, the seals will not last and the ammonia should vaporize well before it hits the earth.

 

[barky]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>I am the same Jim that is on NASASpaceFlight.xxx. My creditials have been discussed there.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote>In case anyone else is interested, I think Jim's referring to this post.

 

[MeteorWayne]

FRom SDC's Tarik Maliq blog:<br /><br />The Space Junk Name Game<br />Author Tariq Malik<br />Apparently the naming policy for objects in the night sky includes rechristening massive chunks of drifting space trash.<br /><br />Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have renamed two hefty pieces of defunct hardware that were tossed out from the orbital laboratory during a July 23 spacewalk in honor of the man that cut them loose.<br /><br />“Good news for us, two new satellites…Nebraska 1 and Nebraska 2,†ISS Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin christened the space junk last week.<br /><br />He named them in honor of Nebraska-native Clayton Anderson, a NASA astronaut and Expedition 15 flight engineer who created the new orbital debris.<br /><br />The Ashland, Nebraska astronaut pitched a 1,400-pound (635-kilogram) ammonia tank and a 212-pound (96-kilogram) video camera stand support over the side of the ISS from the tip of the outpost’s outstretched robotic arm, which was controlled by Expedition 15 flight engineer Oleg Kotov. The two items, which NASA expects will take around 300 days or so to reenter the Earth’s atmosphere, were no longer needed aboard the ISS and had to be cleared to allow later space station assembly tasks.<br /><br />“It was spectacular,†Anderson told Nebraska television reporters of the spacewalk, his career first, during a series of space-to-ground interviews.<br /><br />But apparently Yurchikhin wasn’t satisfied with just discarding the ammonia tank and camera stand support.<br /><br />“If you need anything else for us to jettison, ask us,†joked Yurchikhin with NASA’s Mission Control in Houston, adding that he’ll contact Russia’s Mission Control as well. “We’ll be ready.â€<br /><br />“If Oleg keeps eating all the food, we’ll jettison him!†Anderson replied. <br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

Well hey, it's gotta be fun to chuck stuff overboard. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>