Space Debris: "First Line" in Space Defense?

It's amazing just what's up there, floating around. I think "floating" is really the wrong term, substituted now for "whizzing" through space. It seems like, domestically, internationally, globally, this is a great first line of defense against aliens or other countries militaries.

My only concern is the extent which it keeps us on this surface. I sure hope we can clean it up someday.

What are your thoughts on space debris?

a reply to: wakeupstupid

Go Switzerland

a reply to: wakeupstupid

If aliens wanted to attack us, wouldnt they just send some kind of airborn rabies around the planet. Or stick a rocket on an asteroid (exactly like that episode of stargate).

a reply to: wakeupstupid

What if we say that the great pacific garbage patch is our first defense against Russians?

a reply to: Whoisjohngalt

If they're capable of FTL travel then yeah , if they wanted conquest they'd probably use some form of tractor beam to throw space rocks at us until we either surrendered or became extincted.

a reply to: wakeupstupid

As above , if they're capable of getting here I doubt a bit of space junk will cause them any problems , I think space junk is more a problem for our existing orbital technology than theirs.

a reply to: wakeupstupid

You've obviously never flown - look how many planes are in the air at any one time. And yet you never see any other planes looking out the window.

Now think how easy it is to sneak past that space junk and for aliens to land in your bedroom.

he report shows that there are 37.4 million flights scheduled in 2014! That is up 2.7% from 2013. And it means an average of 102,465 flights per day.

I equate this to me driving past a house in a neighborhood where there is a bunch of trash and junk in the front yard. If I'm an alien and take a look at the solar system, I'd pass right by Earth and would be thinking, wow, what a dump. How could anyone live like that? I sure wouldn't stop there!

originally posted by: LogicalGraphitti
I equate this to me driving past a house in a neighborhood where there is a bunch of trash and junk in the front yard. If I'm an alien and take a look at the solar system, I'd pass right by Earth and would be thinking, wow, what a dump. How could anyone live like that? I sure wouldn't stop there!

Earth is like the New Jersey of the solar system lol.
I avoid it as well.

a reply to: wakeupstupid

"Falling" would actually be the more correct term.

Anything orbiting our blue orb is in a perpetual state of 'falling'.

a reply to: wakeupstupid


Ummm...whizzing in space...

I've whizzed in the woods...I like to whiz on my lawn...I absolutely love to whiz in the ocean...

If you whiz in space...does it make a sound...?







YouSir

Someone needs to invent space vacuum cleaner.

Forget about one object.

A single object traveling at high velocity creates the buck shot effect magnified at terminal velocity, after hitting just one.

Rods from the gods style.

Here is a link I found some time back that shows what is in orbit around earth. Its pretty neat to use I think.

stuffin.space...

They have been here already!

a reply to: neo96

I'm pretty new and haven't figured out GIFs yet. I was going to post one from Spaceballs, from the scene wherein President Skroob and Dark Helmet unleash their enormous space-vacuum on the hapless inhabitants of Druidia. Maybe someone will come along and assist.

originally posted by: neo96
Someone needs to invent space vacuum cleaner.

Forget about one object.

A single object traveling at high velocity creates the buck shot effect magnified at terminal velocity, after hitting just one.

Rods from the gods style.

That's the tricky part - you have to get these bits of space debris to move to your contraption slowly. Otherwise it becomes another cloud of space debris. So either, use magnetic fields to guide the pieces in, or a scoop, or a giant net. Given the different sizes of debris, you would need different sized nets or maybe even drones with thrusters to manoeuvre around small objects.