Experts at the European Space Agency (ESA) have issued a warning over the amount of 'dead' satellites orbiting Earth.
* * *
And the director general of the agency said this space debris poses a 'very big danger' to the planet.
Speaking at the agency's ministerial council in Seville, Spain, Johann-Dietrich Worner proposed a mission to deal with space junk.
He also spoke about a mission to detect and prevent hazards posed by meteorites, saying the human race does not want to be wiped out in the same manner as dinosaurs.
Many things are taking place:
Researchers Developing AI Robots That Can Repair Orbiting Satellites
A professor and his team of researchers are looking to develop new robotic technology that can repair and salvage stranded satellites in low-Earth orbit. If successful, the project could serve as a solution to the growing problem of space debris around the planet.
Usually, when satellites run out of fuel or get damaged during their missions, they are left floating aimlessly in space. Most of these end up joining the hundreds of thousands of space junk pieces around Earth. Some of them, on the other hand, get pulled by Earth's gravity, causing them to burn up in the atmosphere and crash.
Space Stuffing? Here's What Astronauts Will Eat in Orbit This Thanksgiving | Space
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station plan on getting creative with their Thanksgiving meal in orbit.
To commemorate Thanksgiving this year, the astronauts on board the International Space Station shared a video of themselves discussing the holiday and what it means to them. But they couldn't talk about Thanksgiving without at least mentioning food. As astronaut Andrew Morgan said in the video, "When we think of Thanksgiving, we think of friends, family and food."
Arianespace CEO says Starlink project will make a 'Wild West' of space - Business
But not everyone is happy about the company's plans; Stéphane Israël, CEO of Arianespace spoke to radio station, France Inter , saying that Musk's company is trying to "colonize" low-Earth orbit.
"He's the manufacturer, launcher, and operator of 40,000 satellites," the satellite launch company's boss said. "His project is monopolizing the sector. He's colonizing low [Earth] orbit."
"We refuse to allow low [Earth] orbit to be cornered by one single agent, who would ultimately harm all others," said Israël.
Quite a lot has been going on:
Heavyweight Black Hole Find Mystifies Astronomers - Sky & Telescope
Observations of a star have found it orbiting an unexpectedly massive black hole. If the discovery pans out, it would change our understanding of how massive stars die.
An artist's concept shows a hot, young star orbiting a black hole.
Jingchuan Yu / Beijing Planetarium
Astronomers have found a seemingly "impossible" black hole about 14,000 light-years away. Their observations, published in the November 28th Nature , suggest that the weird object weighs in at a staggering 68 times the mass of the Sun.
ISRO successfully launches Cartosat-3 into polar orbit
European Space Agency gets astronomical budget – EURACTIV.com
The European Space Agency (ESA) will enjoy a budget of €14.4 billion over the next five years, after the agency's 22 member states agreed on Thursday (28 November) to increase funding for space exploration.
The larger budget will be earmarked for putting the first space station in orbit around the moon, with the aim of putting European astronauts on the lunar surface for the first time, as well as an anti-asteroid system, 5G satellites and a black-hole mission.
Launch from New Zealand to orbit satellite that creates artificial shooting stars - UPI.com
Nov. 28 (UPI) -- A satellite that spits out artificial shooting stars for expensive light shows in the sky is scheduled to ride into space early Friday from New Zealand.
This will be the 10th launch for Huntington Beach, Calif.-based Rocket Lab and its eighth commercial launch. It also will be the first time that Rocket Lab has tested navigation telemetry on its first-stage booster as it attempts to fly back to Earth.
The company will not try to recover the booster, but the data provided by it will be used to help make the Electron rocket reusable. Rocket Lab intends to catch its boosters, mid-air, using a helicopter with a grappling hook that would snag a parachute line. RELATED SpaceX's new ride-sharing launches to boost small-satellite industry
No comments:
Post a Comment