ISS debris avoidance

[TacovilleMC]

How likely is it for NASA to miss some mid-sized piece of space debris, resulting in said space debris impacting the ISS? Just curious.

 

[Wolfshadw]

Depends on what you consider, "mid-sized". The Space Surveillance Network can track objects as small as five centimeters in diameter (in low Earth orbit). Smaller objects, down to flecks of paint can still cause serious issues with orbiting satellites/space stations. The US Shuttle had to frequently replace it's windows due to such impacts.

-Wolf sends

 

[Helio]

The ISS does alter its trajectory to avoid these risks.

 

[freda777]

Shouldnt those who put stuff up there be responsible for the consequences like when it falls down? Like here you cant just dump stuff on the highways or let stuff block them

 

[Wolfshadw]

Shouldnt those who put stuff up there be responsible for the consequences like when it falls down? Like here you cant just dump stuff on the highways or let stuff block them

Should be, but in space, it's impossible to enforce.

-Wolf sends

 

[Clovis]

The movie gravity showed the damage it could cause.

 

[TacovilleMC]

The movie gravity showed the damage it could cause.

Just the trailer for that movie instills me with a burning rage

 

[Catastrophe]

So, sooner or later, there are going to be really serious occurrences which add so much to mission costings that they will become impracticable and space exploration will be costed out?

Or does this make transfer to Moon base essential at an early date?

Cat

 

[Steven Durham]

So, sooner or later, there are going to be really serious occurrences which add so much to mission costings that they will become impracticable and space exploration will be costed out?

Or does this make transfer to Moon base essential at an early date?

We need a moon as soon as possible.

 

[Pogo]

Even with software and folks watching the orbits of all this stuff, with literally millions of pieces of junk up there, one day it’ll be ‘Oops! We missed that one!’

 

[Catastrophe]

Ooops! Well, there was bound to be a bad crash sooner or later. It just happened sooner. Same imaginary time frame as #10 - don't worry now.

To what extent will this disaster affect the control of space development?

Cat

 

[Pogo]

Like any other human endeavor, we just keep going as long as funding holds out until something major happens, then we’ll try to fix it with bandaids.

 

[Catastrophe]

I am envisaging that, if we continue to pollute space environs, and that if we wish to build Moon base(s), let alone Mars manned landing(s), there will be conflict between manned flights and increased pollution.

If we wish to 'visit' Moon and/or Mars with view to bases " twere best done quickly ". If left too long, pollution will interfere with base traffic. Base traffic will be considerably more expensive than local garbage precursors.

Cat

 

[Catastrophe]

Recent events are a strong reminder of this issue:

I am envisaging that, if we continue to pollute space environs, and that if we wish to build Moon base(s), let alone Mars manned landing(s), there will be conflict between manned flights and increased pollution.

If we wish to 'visit' Moon and/or Mars with view to bases " twere best done quickly ". If left too long, pollution will interfere with base traffic. Base traffic will be considerably more expensive than local garbage precursors.

Cat

 

[iconoclastmax]

Depends on what you consider, "mid-sized". The Space Surveillance Network can track objects as small as five centimeters in diameter (in low Earth orbit). Smaller objects, down to flecks of paint can still cause serious issues with orbiting satellites/space stations. The US Shuttle had to frequently replace it's windows due to such impacts.

-Wolf sends

Flecks of paint et al. will not destroy the station, just make pits. The 5+ cm pieces are tracked and avoided. The problem is the 1-4 cm pieces we are blind to but will trash any module(s) they hit, think along the lines of a small, non-explosive artillery shell kind-of-thing. The 5+ guys are relatively rare (miss distances up to a mile or so trigger newsworthy avoidance), but the number of smaller pieces is only estimated, but the danger from them is still MUCH smaller than the danger of the Russians deliberately disabling the station out of pique.

 

[Catastrophe]

Flecks of paint et al. will not destroy the station, just make pits.

Do I not understand correctly, that a larger than expected space object has knocked part of the JWST about a bit?

How large does one expect them to be?

Cat

 

[iconoclastmax]

Do I not understand correctly, that a larger than expected space object has knocked part of the JWST about a bit?

How large does one expect them to be?

Cat

The Webb mirrors are especially especially fragile and susceptible to damage from debris. This Webb debris was very small, likely the size of a smoke particle or even smaller. And the damage is mainly miniscule misalignment and warping of the exquisitely engineered and aligned mirror segments. Does not translate to the experience of grossly large damage to earth orbiting satellites, something you can push a soccer ball through.

 

[Catastrophe]

The Webb mirrors are especially especially fragile and susceptible to damage from debris.

Also very expensive. One wonders whether any insurance company would take them on? I would agree that meteoroids can always be larger than you expect.

Cat

 

[Catastrophe]

Since launching on Dec. 25, 2021, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has been pelted by at least 19 tiny space rocks — including one large one that left noticeable damage on one of the telescope's 18 gold-plated mirrors.

James Webb Space Telescope hit by large micrometeoroid | Live Science

Fortunately, this does not seem to have caused serious damage.

I am sure that we are all thankful for that.

Cat