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#spacejunk

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waynerad@diasp.org
Wayne Radinsky

"On Tuesday morning (Aug. 6), a Chinese Long March 6A rocket launched the first 18 satellites for the Qianfan ('Thousand Sails') broadband network, which will eventually host up to 14,000 spacecraft."

"The rocket successfully delivered the satellites to low Earth orbit (LEO), at an altitude of about 500 miles (800 kilometers). But its upper stage broke apart shortly thereafter."

"USSPACECOM can confirm the breakup of a Long March 6A rocket launched on Aug. 6, 2024, resulting in over 300 pieces of trackable debris in low Earth orbit."

Wow, 14,000 satellites is a lot. These orbital internet systems involve crazy numbers of satellites. And they've only launched 18 out of 14,000? About 0.12%. And the upper stage of the rocket blew up, yet amazingly all the 18 satellites made it into orbit. But the pieces of the upper stage of the rocket got into orbit, too -- at least 300 such pieces. D'oh!

Chinese rocket breaks apart after megaconstellation launch, creating cloud of space junk

#astronomy #space #spacejunk

Chinese rocket breaks apart after megaconstellation launch, creating cloud of space junk

The Aug. 7 incident created more than 300 pieces of trackable debris.

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waynerad@diasp.org
Wayne Radinsky

"A made-in-Japan solution for space junk that goes against the grain."

Against the grain, get it? They're talking about wood.

"Wooden satellites would mitigate the increase of metal in the stratosphere and the risks from tumbling satellites at a time when the atmosphere is growing ever more crowded thanks to SpaceX's launches of thousands of satellites and the expansion of its competitors such as Amazon."

"Back in 2022, Kyoto scientists sent wooden samples -- cherry, birch and magnolia -- into space. Magnolia, which is a hardwood, is relatively light and has dimensional stability that is superior to other species, Koji Murata, a Kyoto University professor who specializes in wooden materials and agriculture, says, making it a winning candidate for the project."

A made-in-Japan solution for space junk that goes against the grain

#astronomy #spacejunk

A made-in-Japan solution for space junk that goes against the grain

As space junk clogs Earth's orbit, a Kyoto University team has a new solution: wooden satellites.

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gander22h@diasp.org
Adam Hunt

Finally some action on #spacejunk

The NPRM ... lays out five upper stage disposal options including conducting a controlled reentry, moving it to a less congested storage or graveyard orbit, sending it on an Earth-escape orbit, retrieving it within five years and performing an uncontrolled atmospheric disposal or natural decay within 25 years. The FAA noted that the proposed rule would “align commercial space orbital debris mitigation practices with those accepted by the U.S. government for its space missions.” The rule will be open for public comment for 90 days following its publication in the Federal Register.

#space #junk #FAA #AVweb

FAA Proposes Rule To Limit Commercial Space Vehicles Debris - AVweb

The FAA has proposed a rule designed to limit new orbital debris from commercial space vehicles, citing the need to “reduce the potential for collisions with spacecraft and satellites to promote a sustainable space environment.”

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