Space debris: danger flies around Earth

More and more space debris as danger flies around Earth. There is no denying humans are singularly responsible for causing so much pollution on the Earth. However from the time they started exploring space the problem of space debris has emerged as a major concern. Over the decades satellite has been launched into Earth's orbit to offer GPS service, spying and security surveillance. However they have a lifespan and after that the satellites turn into space debris or junk. A grave concern. The number of satellites in the Earth orbit has grown steadily and the menace of space junk has become a grave concern. Welcome to Science Unmasked. Please subscribe and turn on the notification button so you can get our latest videos. Last year astronauts on the International Space Station were asked to stay inside the facility as there was a real possibility that it could be hit by flying debris. The reason was Russia had destroyed one of its satellites with a missile strike. The International Space Station faced many such safety risks caused by space debris. The issue of space junk is not a new one. Initially there were fewer satellites in space. Now the number of satellites has grown manifold and some of them have become non-operational. Almost 8 000 tons of space waste is now encircling the world. If precautions are not taken the debris created from defunct satellites can strike spaceships, astronauts and other active satellites. It can lead to significant monetary loss and potentially the loss of lives. The RAF Flying Dales part of the US Space Surveillance Network USSN keeps a tab on the volume of space debris. There are other risk assessments such as the UK Space Agency that also records many potential collision alerts. There are currently 30 000 pieces of deductible space junk. In addition there are over 100 million small pieces that can cause damage too. This is because so many micrometer-sized particles are moving around the earth at a staggering speed of 15 000 miles per hour which can strike at a satellite making it unusable. The impact of satellites can be manifold. The menace of flying space debris can affect the satellite in many ways. They can be hit by the debris and also deviate from their designated orbit using up-precious fuel which can affect an active satellite's lifespan. Several countries including Germany, China, India and the US have used missiles to destroy their defunct satellites leading to the creation of more space junk. There are times when clashes between satellites can't be avoided. For example two defunct satellites orbiting in opposite directions can collide. When they do they lead to the creation of more space debris. In 2009 a defunct Russian military satellite was struck by an active iridium communication satellite. It took place over Serbia and the clash led to the creation of thousands of fragments. The situation may turn more challenging given that entities like SpaceX and OneWeb are now launching hundreds of small satellites into earth's orbit. These are used to offer broadband access and other services causing the risk to multiply. The US has declared the DAASAT plan to tackle the menace of space junk creation. Other space agencies are also devising newer and more effective methods to track space junk and help satellites evade clashes in orbit. There are methods that include moving satellites into a lower orbit where they will burn up on re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. A Japanese tech firm named Astroscale plans to start a defunct satellite removal service. There is also ESA's ClearSpace-1 mission which will go operational by 2025. That's all from Science Unmasked. Remember to subscribe and like our videos and share it with your friends.