>> THE MOST IMMEDIATE CONCERN IS THE DEBRIS ITSELF. WHICH IS NOW
FLOATING OUT THERE AND COULD
BECOME A HAZARD INCLUDING TO
THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION.
>> IF YOU MISSED IT EARLIER
THIS WEEK THAT WAS BIG BIG
NEWS, US STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS
A 1500 PIECES OF DEBRIS ARE
ORBITING EARTH. AFTER RUSSIA,
RECKLESSLY CRASH A MISSILE INTO
ONE OF THEIR OWN SATELLITES
EARLIER THIS WEEK.
>> THE LIVES ABOARD THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
WERE AT RISK, INCLUDING THE 4
AMERICAN ASTRONAUTS ON BOARD
FOR MORE OF AN EXPLANATION OF
WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED HERE WE
BRING IN AN ASTROPHYSICIST AT
THE HARVARD-SMITHSONIAN CENTER
DOCTOR JONATHAN MCDOWELL GOOD
MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> WELL FIRST OF ALL CAN YOU
BRIEFLY EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED
HERE.
>> RIGHT SO THE RUSSIANS ARE
TESTING OUT THEIR NEW NOODLE
ANTI SATELLITE SYSTEM THEY USED
TO HAVE AND THE SATELLITE
WEAPONS BUT THEY WILL BE
RETIRED FOR A JUST A THIS IS A
NEW SYSTEM.
THEY’VE DONE TESTS LAUNCHES OF
THE ROCKET BEFORE BUT THIS IS
THE FIRST TIME
THEY ACTUALLY FIGHT AGAINST THE
OLD TARGET SATELLITE TO THE
1980’S, SOVIET
SPY SAT THAT THEY BLEW INTO
THOUSANDS OF PIECES.
ALL OF WHICH ARE WHIZZING
AROUND THE EARTH AT 17,000
MILES AN HOUR.
AND THE THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION AND OTHER SATELLITES
ARE.
ORBITING THROUGH THIS RISK
AREA.
>> AND IN
THE IMMEDIATE.
>> HOURS OFF TO THE TEST THE
DEBRIS WAS ALL STILL RATHER
CLOSE TOGETHER ON THE ISS WAS
PA SAYING A BIT TOO CLOSE FOR
COMFORT TO
THAT AREA AND SO THE NATIONALS
HAVE TO TAKE A LOT OF
PRECAUTIONS, CLOSING HATCHES IN
CASE ONE OF THE COMPARTMENTS
KEPT GOT HOLD.
THEY’VE NOW I’VE BEEN TOLD
TODAY ALLOWED TO OPEN THE
HATCHES AGAIN THE DEBRIS IS
SORT OF SPREADING OUT AROUND
THE U.S. AND SO IT’S GOING TO
COME JUST
LIKE A 10 OR 20% INCREASE IN
THE OVERALL AMOUNT OF SPACE
JUNK THAT THAT CLOSES RISK TO
THEM RATHER THAT AN IMMEDIATE
LOCALIZED THREAT.
>> RIGHT DOCTOR MACAU, THE
SOUNDS LIKE A BIT OF A GAME
CHANGER HOW DOES THIS THREATEN
THE FUTURE OF SPACE EXPLORATION
NOT ONLY FOR US HERE IN THE
U.S. BUT FOR THE REST OF THE
WORLD.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW WE’RE IN AN
ERA WHERE THE NUMBER OF
SATELLITES IS INCREASING REALLY
FAST. A FEW YEARS AGO THERE
WERE ONLY A 1000 WORKING
SATELLITES NOW THERE ARE ALMOST
5,000.
I’M SO SPACE IS GETTING A LOT
MORE CROWDED AND SO ADDING
EXTRA ON THIS HISTORY SPACE
JUNK. WHAT WE’VE ALREADY GOT
WAY TOO MUCH SPACE
IS IS REALLY RESPONSIBLE.
I THINK AND IT’S GOING TO MEAN
SATELLITES HAVE TO SPEND MORE
OF THEIR TIME DODGING.
ANOTHER THING IS THAT WHEN YOU
HAVE A BIT OF EXPOSURE LIKE
THIS. IT TAKES THE SPACE FORCE
MONTHS EVEN YEARS TO CATTLE
OGLE AND SO
IT’S ONE THING TO KNOW THE JUNK
IS THERE AND BE ABLE TO DODGE
IT WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW THE JUNK
IS THERE YOU CAN EASILY GET IT
AND AND SO I’M REALLY WHITE
THAT WE COULD LOSE SOME VERY
EXPENSIVE OR EVEN HAVE THE
SPACE STATION SPRING LAKE.
BECAUSE OF THIS DEBRIS OF THAT.
>> SPEAKING AT THE SPACE
STATION IN THE WORST CASE
SCENARIO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF A
PIECE OF DEBRIS THEN HIT THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
>> WELL YOU KNOW IT DEPENDS HOW
BIG THE DEBRIS IS RIGHT, IT IS
A REALLY BIG PIECE OF DEBRIS.
IT COULD SHATTER ONE OF THE
MODULES LIKE YOU’RE SEEING ON
THE AND THE MISSION I GUESS
PROBABLY FROM GRAVITY OR
SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE THAT
WOULD BE TERRIBLE BUT EVEN A
SMALL PIECE OF DEBRIS.
TRAVELING A 70,000 MAKES A
BULLET HOLE AND YOU KNOW THAT
THE FIRST THING YOU KNOW THEN
IS THAT YOUR EARS POP AND YOU
HEAR HISSING SOUND OF THIS IS
REALLY NOT A GOOD THING TO HEAR
IF YOU’RE AN ASTRONAUT ON THE
SPACE STATION. AND SO YOU HAVE
TO FIND THE LEAK
PLUG IT OR ELSE THEY COULD THE
U.S. THE CREW COULD TO 68 SO
SO IN GENERAL HAVING HOLES IN
YOUR SPACE STATION IS IS REALLY
NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT.
>> DOCTOR MCGOWAN FINAL
QUESTION WILL THIS DEBRIS EVER
GO AWAY
AND CAN YOU ENVISION AN
ORGANIZED EFFORT TO MAYBE GET
RITZ RID OF SOME OF SPACE JUNK.
>> WELL THE GOOD NEWS SUCH AS IT IS IS THAT THIS LOWER PART OF OUTER SPACE.
STILL HAS A LITTLE BIT OF
ATMOSPHERE THERE IT’S
SELF CLEANING. THE DEBRIS WILL
FEEL FRICTION FROM THE
ATMOSPHERE AND IN 5 TO 10 YEARS
IT WILL GET CLEANED OUT, BUT
STILL THAT’S STILL A
LONG TIME. BUT EARLIER DEBRIS
TESTS LIKE ONE THAT THE U.S.
DID IN THE 1980’S
AT THAT ALTITUDE ALL THAT
DEBRIS IS
NOW DOWN. FOR I DO THINK FOR
THE LARGER PIECES OF SPACE JUNK
LIKE LEFTOVER ROCKET STAGES WE
DO NEED TO GO IN
AND HAVE THE FLEET OF SPACE
GARBAGE TRUCKS THAT WILL GET
RID OF THEM BECAUSE IT IS JUST
GETTING IN SAYING UP THERE WITH
THE AMOUNT OF OF GARBAGE WE’VE
LEFT ITS BASE.