4 ms·

As CubeSats and FemtoSats are picking up support, we need LEO trash collectors even moreso.

grinich 11y ago
LEO trash collectors doesn't the atmosphere do a good enough job? seems that most things in LEO will decay within a few years
- mdorazio 11y ago
  Not quite. It really depends on the shape of the orbit and density of the debris. It could be months, but it could also be decades to de-orbit naturally. Also, the bigger problem is that the amount of debris is growing faster than the decay rate [1] so the problem is getting worse over time. [1] http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/news/orbital_debris.html http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/news/orbital_debri...
- CapitalistCartr 11y ago
  Unfortunately no. The curent amount is already serious and, if we were continue at our past rate, we'll make space inaccessible. Orbital Debris Quarterly is a good resource on the subject. http://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/newsletter/newsletter.html http://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/newsletter/newsletter.html
  - patrickyeon 11y ago
    (I'm not an orbits expert, but I do work for Planet Labs, and we're sending up piles of cubesats.) The actors puting objects up in orbit are trying hard to be good neighbours these days. Our cubesat missions are designed such that should we completely lose control over a satellite the orbit will naturally degrade and re-enter the atmosphere on a ~10 year time scale. Our hardware deployed from the ISS is gone in less than two years. It's my understanding that it is required of us (and most groups in general) to plan our missions such that they will naturally de-orbit within 25 years.
  - grinich 11y ago
    Thanks for that link!
sarreph 11y ago
It's amusing to see "LEO" referenced twice in one day on HN, where the first time it was mentioned earlier[0] someone confused it for 'low earth orbit' when the author meant 'law enforcement officer'. [0] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11479709 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11479709
- taneq 11y ago
  I've long maintained that TLAs have become almost completely useless outside of extremely tightly scoped discussions. The namespace is just way too polluted.
  - jessaustin 11y ago
    In both cases mentioned, the discussion has been of sufficiently limited scope. Some people will ignore any context. b^)
    - scentoni 11y ago
      Until we get into discussions of law enforcement officers working on a space station in low Earth orbit.

LEO trash collectors doesn't the atmosphere do a good enough job? seems that most things in LEO will decay within a few years

mdorazio 11y ago
Not quite. It really depends on the shape of the orbit and density of the debris. It could be months, but it could also be decades to de-orbit naturally. Also, the bigger problem is that the amount of debris is growing faster than the decay rate [1] so the problem is getting worse over time. [1] http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/news/orbital_debris.html http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/news/orbital_debri...
CapitalistCartr 11y ago
Unfortunately no. The curent amount is already serious and, if we were continue at our past rate, we'll make space inaccessible. Orbital Debris Quarterly is a good resource on the subject. http://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/newsletter/newsletter.html http://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/newsletter/newsletter.html
- patrickyeon 11y ago
  (I'm not an orbits expert, but I do work for Planet Labs, and we're sending up piles of cubesats.) The actors puting objects up in orbit are trying hard to be good neighbours these days. Our cubesat missions are designed such that should we completely lose control over a satellite the orbit will naturally degrade and re-enter the atmosphere on a ~10 year time scale. Our hardware deployed from the ISS is gone in less than two years. It's my understanding that it is required of us (and most groups in general) to plan our missions such that they will naturally de-orbit within 25 years.
- grinich 11y ago
  Thanks for that link!

sarreph 11y ago

It's amusing to see "LEO" referenced twice in one day on HN, where the first time it was mentioned earlier[0] someone confused it for 'low earth orbit' when the author meant 'law enforcement officer'. [0] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11479709 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11479709

taneq 11y ago
I've long maintained that TLAs have become almost completely useless outside of extremely tightly scoped discussions. The namespace is just way too polluted.
- jessaustin 11y ago
  In both cases mentioned, the discussion has been of sufficiently limited scope. Some people will ignore any context. b^)
  - scentoni 11y ago
    Until we get into discussions of law enforcement officers working on a space station in low Earth orbit.