From: Joe E. Dees (joedees@bellsouth.net)
Date: Wed Apr 28 1999 - 23:59:18 MDT
Date sent: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 22:29:35 -0700
From: Spike Jones <spike66@ibm.net>
To: extropians@extropy.com
Subject: Re: What are we going to do about all the space junk?
Send reply to: extropians@extropy.com
> 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
>
Shuttle missions could be plotted according to algorithms which
could calculate the courses able to pick up the most and biggest
pieces (with similar direction and velocity). This would not only to
some degree clean our skies, but also provide info sources as to
what does and does not hold up in space, and for how long, as well
as fodder for space museums. If we make such a cleanup a
perrenial secondary mission, much could be done.
>
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