As long as we have had access to space. we have realeased tons of unusable "space trash" in to the space above earth. What eventauly happens to it. Does it reenter the earth's atmostsphere and burn up or will it continue to encompus earth in its own orbit forever. Have we become so accustomed to pollution our planet that we are moving to a higher level.....meaning space above the earth. Trash is trash no matter how you look at it. Is space to become the earths next and newest "dumping ground" garbage dump?We are so bent on recycling and cleaning up the surface of waste, but what about the space that this "junk" is in orbit of our planet? I love to look beyound our confindment or this planet. I know in my lifetime I will never acheive that, but what about generations to come that find away to break the confinds of earth and travel past our wildest dreams. Are they to come home and find a "garbage dump" sorrounding a place they call home? We have polluted enough of the earth, now space?
2007-07-23 02:14:32 · 7 answers · asked by Kimmi d. 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
To answer your question.
1. The materials discarded/jettisoned in low earth orbit eventually reenter the atmosphere and either burn up completely, or some small parts may actually hit the earth. (look up MIR's reentry)
2. Things in higher orbit will stay there longer.
3. What you seem to miss is exactly how BIG the area around the earth is. And how relatively small all the "junk" that is there is. The vast majority of these objects are paint flecks, screws, rivets. Some are unused satellites and lets not forget there are micrometorites also in orbit.
4. The vast majority of these items fall back into the atmosphere and burn up. It is funny, because this would be a great way to get rid of the earths trash.. take it into orbit then let it burn up in teh atmosphere.
You will NEVER be able to see anything in orbit that is garbage. AS for your statement of pollution, there is nothing there to pollute. You need an environment to pollute.
2007-07-23 03:15:55 · answer #1 · answered by Adorabilly 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no such thing as a perfect orbiting body. The moon itself is inching closer and closer to the earth every year - although it will take many millions of years for it to actually reach a point at where it will collide with us. But the fact remains that any orbiting body cannot have a permanent perfectly suspended orbit without the use of stabilizers of some sort (like boosters on the space station or some satellites). As none of our space debris has any sort of stabilizer to help maintain its orbit, and the relative mass of any space junk compared to that of the earth is very very small, any junk that is orbiting up there can only hope to stay orbiting somewhere in the range of 50 years or so. After this point the junk will fall back towards earth and be destroyed while re-entering our atmosphere.
Cheers
2007-07-23 02:26:06 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
My goodness what a fresh breath of air you provide to all of us Earthbound folks. I suggest that you mount up a cavalry of Debris Police and begin cruising around in Outer Space and collect up as much of that space junk as is possible. My research indicates that about 99 percent of it falls back into the atmosphere and burns up harmlessly. However, you are most welcome to charge out there and gather it all up. Most of it is traveling along at about 25,000 Miles Per Hour - give or take. So, I guess you will need a fairly fast Space Debris Patrol Car; certainly not a Ford or a Chevy.
2007-07-23 02:33:58 · answer #3 · answered by zahbudar 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Junk in low orbits will reenter the atmosphere in a few years. Junk in higher orbits will be there for a very long time and it is a real problem.
Yes, we are already polluting space.
2007-07-23 02:24:36 · answer #4 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When to recycle cost much more than the material is worth U have a problem. Much of the material is returned to earth. There have been some nuts that got Aloise into space. NASA doesn't desire to leave anything in space as it can become a small mussel in space.
2007-07-23 04:10:03 · answer #5 · answered by JOHNNIE B 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some of the junk will decay in orbit until it falls to earth. The rest will keep orbiting until it runs in to a space ship.
2007-07-23 02:29:52 · answer #6 · answered by eric l 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
id assume it just floats there, but if its close enough to earth, it will come back down and burn up before we can see it.
2007-07-23 02:20:27 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋