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As it gets increasingly crowded up there, it’s time for one of the imaginative ideas for capturing space debris to be implemented.
by Ringz 3y ago
As it gets increasingly crowded up there, it’s time for one of the imaginative ideas for capturing space debris to be implemented.
- Gys 3y agoOne of the challenges might also be distinguishing between debris and a concealed spy satellite.
- looofooo0 3y agoThats a feature not a bug.
- throwup238 3y agoThat’s how we can pay for the whole operation! Orbital racketeering. ”That’s a nice piece of stealthy debris you have there. It would be a shame if someone were to just… scoop it up.” It’s like international waters. Anything goes. In three dimensions!
- bluish29 3y agoImplement a method to deal with debris and don't worry about concealed spy satellite. The entity behind it can of course complain but then have to explain why.
- SunlitCat 3y agoThough it seems many actors are reluctant on implementing something to capture space debris as this could open the doors for capturing more then just debris (as in foreign spy satellites and the like).
- euroderf 3y agoWell, HN had that story a week or so ago about US satellites that cruise around near-geosync orbit (IIRC) checking out the competition. Try to convince me that there's no funny stuff going on.
- jccooper 3y agoThat requires imaginative ideas for paying for such missions.
- yetihehe 3y agoWe could link that with another comment "Though it seems many actors are reluctant on implementing something to capture space debris as this could open the doors for capturing more then just debris (as in foreign spy satellites and the like)." and sell this as "Remove debris AND foreign spy satellites. If you pay for this, we will leave your satellites intact."
- thfuran 3y agoI think that trying to secure funding by extorting your government with threats to intelligence assets is not just a bad business plan but a poor life choice.
- dkjaudyeqooe 3y agoHow about a nice directed energy tool to zap it out of orbit? You could simply vaporise the smaller bits.
- wkat4242 3y agoIt's not that simple to vaporise smaller bits because you'll have to track them after breakup. At orbital velocities even a fleck of paint hits like a bullet so it's better to just keep it in one big piece.