How would you get rid of space junk?

reply to post by halfmanhalfamazing


I think you got it there, add in solar power and a good sensing system and processor and you are there.

The debris is spread so far and wide that I think there is little that we can do but try to avoid the larger debris chunks with our crafts.
I like the idea of blasting the largest chunks with high light beams... but that will only create smaller chunks!
I guess the only thing to do is BUILD OUR SPACECRAFTS WITH STURDIER MATERIALS that can withstand impacts from small debris chunks.

Originally posted by sweetbechtold
I guess the only thing to do is BUILD OUR SPACECRAFTS WITH STURDIER MATERIALS that can withstand impacts from small debris chunks.

Probably current materials tech would make that idea unworkable - there are so many factors, but money and weight would be in the top 5.

I would use lasers to push the larger objects into a higher orbit.

It would look like this:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/ffb54d5692a2.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/9f713469efd8.jpg[/atsimg]

*Ten points to whoever can figure out which project these laser beams are associated with.

A junk vaporizing solar powered high intensity laser for the small junks.

Little tractor bots for the big junks which drags them to the Pitcher satellite.

The Pitcher satellite takes the big junks and shoots them up to a catcher satellite which is at high enough altitude to be in permanent orbit. The junks they are stored at the proper altitude and location over a geosynchronous point to be used later as ballast for the space elevator.

The bouncer also serves as a refueling station for the tractor bots, and the laser bot's engines.

When the tractor bots are no longer needed for cleaning duty, they are sent to the nearest asteroid belt to begin bringing back metallic asteroids to add to the depot of materials at the space elevator site, they will later be used in manufacuring the space elevator and more sophisticated mining bots in space.

[edit on 2-8-2009 by Cyberbian]

Ok so I read some of the repliies and getting rid of it by burning it in the sun is just plane stupid because we woul be losing things from our earth that we cannot get back what we have on our earth is all we have and if we burn it up till the point we have no more on our earth we are screwed also a plow? Really you guys the space debris would tear right through it or if it didn't it would just punch it a new way also a shuttle that picks everything up you would need the shuttle to go the same speed as the debris and that would burn up a ton of resources unless we could make it solarpowered in which case if we get a bunch them up there it might work that's my idea but come on we can't use the sun to burn things

I would not worry too much about space junk.We can just leave it there.Over time all that space junk will fall to earth or burn up in our athmosphere.In another 500 years most people will not worry too much about space junk around earth as most people on earth by then would have left the earth to live in other places in the solar systerm and beyond.