Apparently there is an argument among spaceologists as to how long satellite debris floating around the earth will stay "up there." The difference in opinion ranges from decades or a century or so on one hand to ten thousand years on the other hand . Details here.
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« The Bible as Ethnography ~ 05 ~ The Virgin Birth | Main | Songbirds Fly 3 Times Faster than Expected »
Satellite Debris
Category: Cosmos
Posted on: February 15, 2009 7:47 PM, by Greg Laden
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TrackBack URL for this entry: http://scienceblogs.com/mt/pings/99928
Comments
Jeffrey Lewis over at armscontrolwonk was been on this issue for years, and has had a lot of useful commentary over there the last few days.
Posted by: Andrew Foland | February 15, 2009 8:32 PM
A short bit in the news was about space debris falling in Texas just in the last few days. The report hinted that it was probably from the satellite collision. I am sceptical that it would be coming down this soon.
Posted by: Cal Harth | February 15, 2009 9:22 PM
At what point does this become dangerous for airline flying? Debris falling from the sky, an amount consistent enough to warrant serious concern?
Posted by: Wayne | February 15, 2009 9:48 PM
It sounds to me like you've got the best opinion of a debris guy (Johnson) up against the statement to reporters of an ISS chief (Solovyov). All other things being equal, I'll take Johnson's numbers.
Posted by: ScienceSealedDelivered | February 15, 2009 10:15 PM
I assume that these bits are going slower and/or burned up before they hit the airplanes, and airplanes are going kinda slow also. But the relative velocities of space dibris still in orbit and satellites or space stations in orbit can be enormous.
Posted by: Greg Laden | February 15, 2009 11:43 PM
Phil Plait over at Bad Astronmy has a good write up about the collision and the recent fireball.
Posted by: CyberLizard | February 16, 2009 11:42 AM