Re: What are we going to do about all the space junk?

Spike Jones (spike66@ibm.net)
Wed, 28 Apr 1999 22:29:35 -0700

Karsten Bänder wrote:

> ...This now-junk could be recycled to biuld up something new. This junk
> travels around at highspeed, but anyway, a space vehicle orbiting our planet
> would do this, too...

Yes, but the problem is, the space junk is in *different* orbits, each of which have enormous velocity relative to each other.

> ...All it would need is a sort of "tractor beam" (hey, yet
> *another* Sci-Fi technology) to haul all the junk in...

OK, you invent a tractor beam, Karsten, and I will quit my 9 to 5, and make my living selling your autographs.

> ...but as most of this junk is magnetic...

Almost none of it is. There may be a *little* iron, but it is mostly aluminum.

> This could be more realistic than the nanosail discussed before.

Or not. spike