Space Debris 07 Space Junk landing on Earth and in orbit

DANGERS FROM SPACE
Space Debris

Space Junk landing on Earth and in orbit
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Credit: NASA, Orbital Debris Program Office This is the main propellant tank of the second stage of a Delta 2 launch vehicle which landed near Georgetown, TX, on 22 January 1997. This weighed approximately 250 kg. ..

Credit: NASA, Orbital Debris Program Office Jan 21, 2001, a Delta 2 third stage, known as a PAM-D, reentered the atmosphere over the Middle East. The titanium motor casing, weighing about 70 kg, landed in Saudi Arabia about 240 km from the capital of Riyadh. ..

Credit: NASA, Orbital Debris Program Office
This 30 kg titanium pressurant tank also survived the reentry of the Delta 2 second stage
on 22 January 1997 but was found farther downrange near Seguin, TX
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View of an orbital debris hole made in the panel of the Solar Max experiment.
Credit: NASA, Orbital Debris Program Office
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Window pit from orbital debris on STS-007
Credit: NASA, Orbital Debris Program Office
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Solar Max satellite repair. Several metal louvers and thermal blankets were returned from the Solar Max satellite. Returned surfaces are a source of information on sub-millimeter sized orbital debris
Credit: NASA, Orbital Debris Program Office
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Orbital debris damage seen during Hubble Space Telescope repairs
Credit: NASA, Orbital Debris Program Office
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MIR environmental effects: The ODC utilized an aerogel capture medium. Aerogel is a very low density material that can slow small particles down from orbital velocities and capture them without destroying them.
Credit: NASA, Orbital Debris Program Office

Mir Environmental Effects Payload (MEEP) Orbital Debris Collector (ODC) was exposed to the space environment for 18 months. The ODC utilized an aerogel capture medium. Aerogel is a very low density material that can slow small particles down from orbital velocities and capture them without destroying them.

After in space repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope, the returned parts show many orbital debris impacts
Credit: NASA, Orbital Debris Program Office - Full size image here
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An impact that completely penetrated the antenna dish of the Hubble Space Telescope
Credit: NASA, Orbital Debris Program Office
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Paint flakes captured by Mir Environmental Effects Payload (MEEP)
Credit: NASA, Orbital Debris Program Office
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A close-up view of a panel from the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) spacecraft.
Credit: NASA, Orbital Debris Program Office
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Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) was left in low Earth orbit (LEO)
for 5.7 years before being retrieved by space shuttle Columbia in January 1990.
Credit: NASA, Orbital Debris Program Office
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Orbital SRMs used to boost satellites into higher orbits are potentially a significant source of centimeter sized orbital debris. This piece was recovered from a test firing of a Shuttle solid rocket booster
Credit: NASA, Orbital Debris Program Office

Solid rocket motor (SRM) slag. Aluminum oxide slag is a byproduct of SRMs. Orbital SRMs used to boost satellites into higher orbits are potentially a significant source of centimeter sized orbital debris. This piece was recovered from a test firing of a Shuttle solid rocket booster. Full Size image NASA

SOURCE: The Examiner
Original Source: NASA Orbital Debris Program Office

Huge Defunct Satellite to Plunge to Earth Soon, NASA Says
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The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite hangs in the grasp of the Remote Manipulator System
during deployment from Space Shuttle Discovery, September 1991.
CREDIT: NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

By leonard David

Heads up! That's the word from NASA today (Sept. 7) given the impending re-entry of a 6.5-ton satellite through Earth's atmosphere.

The huge Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere in an uncontrolled fall in late September or early October. Much of the spacecraft is expected to burn up during re-entry, but some pieces are expected to make it intact to the ground, NASA officials said.

The U.S. space agency will be taking measures to inform the public about the pieces of the spacecraft that are expected to survive re-entry.

SOURCE: Space.com

Complete Coverage of NASA's Falling Satellite UARS
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An artist's concept of the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) satellite in space. The 6 1/2-ton satellite was deployed from space shuttle Discovery in 1991 and decommissioned in December 2005. Photograph: Space.com

By SPACE.com Staff

A dead NASA satellite, called the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), is falling uncontrolled toward Earth and crash in the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, Sept. 24. Agency officials are unable to pinpoint the exact time and location of the fall, but have said there is little risk of debris landing in populated areas. SPACE.com is providing full coverage of the UARS re-entry, including a look at the issues surrounding orbital debris and space situational awareness.

FINAL NASA Update (Sept. 27 PM):

"NASA's decommissioned Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite fell back to Earth at 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT) on Saturday, Sept. 24. The Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California has determined the satellite entered the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean at 14.1 degrees south latitude and 189.8 degrees east longitude (170.2 west longitude). This location is over a broad, remote ocean area in the Southern Hemisphere, far from any major land mass. The debris field is located between 300 miles and 800 miles downrange, or generally northeast of the re-entry point. NASA is not aware of any possible debris sightings from this geographic area.

This is your source for official information on the re-entry of UARS. All information posted here has been verified with a government or law enforcement agency. This is NASA's final status report on the re-entry of UARS."

SOURCE: Space.com

Final Update: NASA's UARS Re-enters Earth's Atmosphere

NASA’s decommissioned Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite fell back to Earth at 12 a.m. EDT (0400 GMT), as Friday, Sept. 23, turned to Saturday, Sept. 24 on the United States east coast. The Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California has determined the satellite entered the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean at 14.1 degrees south latitude and 189.8 degrees east longitude (170.2 west longitude). This location is over a broad, remote ocean area in the Southern Hemisphere, far from any major land mass. The debris field is located between 300 miles and 800 miles downrange, or generally northeast of the re-entry point. NASA is not aware of any possible debris sightings from this geographic area.

Related Links:

Papers:

Re-entry and Risk Assessment for the NASA Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS)

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