- January 9, 2022
Is SPACE free of Pollution?
Pollution is the new age problem for the mankind on our Planet Earth. It is spreading to all areas of human use including land, Air and Water.
But after 1950s when the Space exploration begins and human being venturing into space leads to introduction of earth rotating objects called Satellites and Satellite dropping vehicles called launching vehicles.
Gradually Number of Artificial Satellites rotating Earth are increasing due to increase of space exploration and use of space for various human needs like Remote Sensing and Communication Technology.
As the Artificial satellites have limited longevity and defunct after sometime either due to failure or expiry of use. It became a Space Junk also rotating earth but no use. As number of satellites increasing Space Junk or Space debris is increasing.
The other words for Space pollution are Space Junk and Space Debris.
Space is naturally having innumerable space objects rotating earth. It is also look like natural space debris or Orbital Debris
Space debris encompasses both
- Natural meteoroids
- Artificial (human-made) orbital debris
Meteoroids are in orbit about the sun, while most artificial debris is in orbit about the Earth (hence the term “orbital” debris).
Orbital debris is any human-made object in orbit about the Earth that no longer serves a useful function.
Space debris includes nonfunctional spacecraft, abandoned launch vehicle stages, mission-related debris, and fragmentation debris.
As per NASA there are approximately 23,000 pieces of debris larger than a softball orbiting the Earth. They travel at speeds up to 17,500 mph, fast enough for a relatively small piece of orbital debris to damage a satellite or a spacecraft.
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