🚀 go-pugleaf

    	For over thirty years now the human race has been launching
    all types of vehicles into the Universe, creating an immense "cloud"
    of human-made objects orbiting Earth and slowly expanding into the
    Solar System and interstellar space.
                                                 
    	While many of the satellites in space are of benefit to our
    society, many more are now inactive, floating around Earth serving
    no purpose at present.  In addition to dead satellites and rocket 
    boosters, there are also thousands of pieces of metal scrap and paint 
    flecks from rockets and satellites which have disintergrated in orbit 
    for one reason or another; and the satellite cloud is growing all the 
    time.  At present there is a one in thirty chance that a Space Shuttle 
    could be struck by some man-made orbital debris; by 2010 the chances 
    will be reduced to one in four.
    
    	This cloud represents a danger on many levels:  In space, this
    debris is orbiting Earth at eighteen thousand miles per hour (the 
    minimum velocity needed to achieve and stay in orbit); while some of 
    it will eventually be dragged into Earth's atmosphere and burn up, many
    more are in orbits which will last for millennia!  As more functioning 
    manned and unmanned vehicles are launched into orbit, the risk of being
    struck and killed/destroyed by this debris - no matter how small -
    grows constantly.  Even a grain-sized particle could hit with the
    impact of a rifle bullet!  And people and places on Earth's surface
    are not immune from the dangers of falling debris:  If an object 
    is large enough, it will not burn up completely and strike the surface.
    The Soviet nuclear-powered COSMOS satellite hitting Canada in 1978 
    and the United States SKYLAB space station hitting Australia in 1979 
    are good examples of debris too big to be burned up on reentry and the 
    consequences which result.
                                                         
    	Satellite debris also interferes with astronomical observations.
    The incredibly sensitive instruments professional astronomers use can 
    be "thrown off" by passing satellites and man-made debris.  Even more 
    threatening, just recently the French were stopped from launching a 
    huge balloon ring satellite to commemorate Paris' Eiffel Tower's one 
    hundredth anniversary.  Many astronomers opposed the ring satellite, as 
    it would have been the size and visual brightness of the full Moon as 
    viewed from the ground and interfered with observations.  They were also 
    concerned that it might start companies advertising in space with huge 
    satellite "billboards", which some *are* considering!  Along with light 
    pollution on the ground from ever-growing cities, astronomers - and 
    those who just enjoy looking at the stars - are having their work cut 
    out for them.  

        The International Dark-Sky Association is an organization designed 
    to help deal with our growing light pollution problem, while not 
    compromising public safety in the process.  For more details, write to:
 
                            Dr. Dave Crawford
                     Kitt Peak National Observatory
                              PO Box 26732
                            Tucson, AZ 85726
 
        You can also receive a brochure on an important meeting of
    astronomers and other scientists who discussed the problems of light
    pollution in Washington, DC, on August 13-16, 1988, by writing to Dr.
    Tomas Gergely, National Science Foundation, Dept. of Astronomy, 1800 G
    St., NW, Washington, DC 20550.  
     
        Now I know some of you are probably asking yourselves:  "How can 
    I possibly stop and/or clean up space debris?  I'm afraid I don't 
    have much access to a Space Shuttle with a huge vacuum cleaner; also, 
    I and other average citizens did not personally make the pollution 
    now flying over our heads!"  I am well aware of this, and naturally 
    this is a project for a major government and/or corporation to handle;
    but as is always pointed out, such organizations won't do much of 
    anything unless it personally affects them and/or the citizens they 
    are supposed to serve say something about it - in other words, write 
    to your Congressman; it does a lot more good than you might think.

        Tell them there should be a major program to start picking up 
    the useless satellite and rocket debris orbiting Earth.  It can be 
    done using the Space Shuttle, or even relatively cheaply using robot 
    satellites which can attain orbits where the Shuttle cannot; and 
    what is even better is that the debris need not be returned to pollute 
    Earth.  For one thing, some old, deactivated satellites are now part 
    of space history, and deserve to be returned to Earth for placement in 
    our museums.  Others still have valuable parts which can be reused 
    and/or recycled; and as for the truly useless debris, if it is 
    small enough it can be deorbited to burn up completely on reentry, or 
    launched into the Sun with no harmful effects to our star.  The 
    debris can also be placed in safe containers and launched into solar 
    orbit away from Earth, or even out of the Solar System, but I do not 
    care for this plan, as it does not destroy the debris, and just leaves 
    the hazard for future space travelers when humanity start to colonize 
    this and other star systems.

        I would like to point out that I am aware these clean-up plans 
    are not for the immediate future, as I understand the difficulties in 
    orbital mechanics, such as trying to send an object towards the Sun, 
    etc., but I hope they will inspire the start of such projects when 
    it is more feasible.  I am also aware of the recent Air Force project 
    designed to deorbit booster rockets earlier than normal for previous 
    missions, to make Low Earth Orbit (LEO) a bit less cluttered; I 
    personally approve of this, but it might be more beneficial if we could 
    recover the boosters and other debris for scrap metal, if nothing else.
    I just feel that *something* should be started relatively soon, so that 
    it does not become too late for us to do anything about it by the time 
    we are socially and technologically ready.  It would be horrible to 
    think that we might trap ourselves on this planet with our own space 
    debris circling the globe, making space launchings too risky to attempt.  
    This is an extreme view in some ways, but not impossible.

        Besides the fact that man-made debris is potentially dangerous 
    to satellites and humans, why else should we "clean up" space?  
    Because it will help the future of our space programs, which in turn 
    benefits all of society.  These very clean-up projects will get us 
    more involved in space exploration and colonization.  We will colonize 
    the other planets and star systems someday, and we cannot continue to 
    bring our pollution and poor management habits with us.  Space leaves 
    very little room for error and bad planning.  What you say to those 
    who will guide our future in space can have a lot of impact.  

        Do not think of space as something separate from Earth and its 
    concerns:  We live on a planet in space, and if we ruin not only our 
    world but the environment around it, then where can we go to live?

        Larry Klaes