Let’s break radio silence by tying Mike.Sierra.Echo with a real-world issue you need to know about: Space Debris. Defined, space debris is ‘defunct human-made objects in space – principally in Earth orbit – which no longer serve a useful function. These include derelict spacecraft – nonfunctional spacecraft and abandoned launch vehicle stages – mission-related debris, and particularly numerous in Earth orbit, fragmentation debris from the breakup of derelict rocket bodies … Space debris represents a risk to spacecraft.’
How dangerous is space debris? Let’s let Sabine Hossenfelder explain:
I like Hossenfelder – she has an earnest, plain-spoken way of explaining complex science and physics to regular people like you and me. It’s not every day you get to talk to a theoretical physicist, so make sure you make the most of it!
So, what? The issues and dangers of space debris are growing, not shrinking. According to this article, ‘The U.S. government tracks about 23,000 pieces of debris larger than a softball orbiting the Earth. In a few decades, if the build-up of space debris continues, some regions of space might become unusable, Holger Krag, head of the ESA’s Space Safety Programme Office, said in an interview.’
How does space debris fit with Mike.Sierra.Echo? As a space elevator must travel from the ground to Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) – the danger of space debris MUST be factored into any relevant safety plan. How will the space elevator react if debris impacts the module, or the cable? Will it be game-over, or are there ways to fix a damaged space elevator in orbit?
TL;DR – space debris is a thing. You may not care right now, but you’ll care in a few years when pencil-sized pieces of metal punch holes in your solar panels. How will Mike solve this life-threatening challenge? Stay tuned to learn more in Mike.Sierra.Echo!
