ISS Dodging Space Junk again

[stevekk]

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There's nothing to suggest that the piece that the ISS didn't have to dodge came from an Iridium.

That two objects are in different orbits doesn't mean those orbits don't cross on another at some point. Every orbit of ISS passes over a different path every orbit as does every orbit of the debris. If they are in different altitude orbits they will not interact until one decays through the others orbit, something small debris does fairly rapidly. If they are in the same orbital altitude eventually their paths will cross.

The smaller the pieces the more effect sunlight has on them and the quicker they decay in orbit, passing through any number of other orbits before they re-enter and burn up. The Chinese explosion was above most manned or other LEO orbits and as it spreads out and decays it will pass through pretty much every orbit lower then it's own. The Iridium accident presents the same picture, eventually a large conglomeration will meet up with another body and collide.

I thought the Iridium constellation is only about 130 miles up. The ISS is at 200+ miles up. I doubt a fragment of an Iridium sat found enough velocity to reach the ISS orbit.

The antennas on an Iridium phone are already large enough and transmit too much power to place next to your head for any length of time. I'm sure the phone would need even greater power output to reach the ISS.

No SAT phones for me. Leave those cancer sticks for Al Qaeda and the military.

 

[Testing]

The current Iridium constellation is near 400 Miles orbit, well above ISS. I have heard Iridium Next will be higher to provide greater exposure and avoid conjunctions. First launch Spring 2015, duration 2030.

 

[EarthlingX]

There is also rather low cellular coverage on the oceans, and i think ships use satellite phones a lot.

 

[silylene]

Why is Iridium of "little or no value"?

If it wasn't so damn expensive I'd have one instead of borrowing a handset when I go adventuring.
What other options are there in remote area's?
.....
Iridium is a great way to coordinate party members that are following your main group, staying in touch while you're away or for the odd time when you need that vehicle spare you didn't think you needed....
There is a big wide world out there guys and most of it has no cell coverage!

I agree Iririum is useful when you are exploring Siberia or the Amazon or the Sahara desert, chatting from ship-to-ship in the mid-Pacific when you don't want to use shortwave radio, or even for maintaining communications with some of our troops in Afghanistan. And if you can afford the expensive bills and don't mind the bulk or the heavy weight of the handsets, you can even carry an Iridium with you as you ascend K2 or explore the Congo jungle, and stay in touch with your friends, and update your Twitter and Facebook too! I agree there is some value to Iridium. After all, after iridium bankrupted and was re-purchased for almost nothing, there are a few hundred M $ revenue a year which pays the post-bankruptcy fully-depreciated bills.

I just don't think the (small in the big picture) value of Iridium is balanced by the rather high risk that further collisions among this constellation of 70+ satellites (and now to be 130+ satellites) whill have further collisions and cause a 'worst case' out of control chain reaction debris cloud. We already have two debris clouds in the Iridium orbital heights which could intersect more Iridiums. If additional Iridium collisions occur, this will shut down manned and unmanned near earth orbit satellites and end all manned things such as the ISS.

We should de-orbit Iridium.