Russian satellites will receive the function of self-destruction. Will there be less space debris?

For all the time of its existence, humanityturned planet Earth into a giant landfill. The scale of pollution is so huge that at the moment the garbage can be found not only on land and water depths, but also in low Earth orbit. Just think - for half a century of the existence of astronautics, people have sent hundreds of thousands of different satellites into space, most of which still fly around our planet. If we do not clear this space, after 100-200 years, the astronauts simply will not be able to fly into space, because a dense layer of fragments of old satellites will form around the Earth.

How many debris flies overplanet, it is not known precisely because space organizations provide different information. According to NASA, at the moment, more than 19 thousand artificial objects fly over our planet. The Russian Ministry of Defense, in turn, reports on 16 thousand spacecraft. The most terrible figure is called “Roscosmos” - according to the calculations of the state corporation, in the near-earth orbit there are now from 600 to 700 thousand objects with a diameter of more than one centimeter.

How to get rid of space debris?

Scientists from all over the world offer different methods.disposal of space debris. In 2018, scientists from China proposed finding large fragments of old spacecraft and dividing them into small parts using laser shots. Small debris can subsequently be directed towards the Earth, so that they enter the atmosphere and burn in it. This is a very interesting method, but it has alternatives.

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You can also use nets to catch space debris.

An example is the Britisha device called RemoveDEBRIS. He is able to shoot at the fragments of old satellites with a spear and capture them for subsequent destruction in the atmosphere. This is also a very interesting and effective technology - at the beginning of the year, a part of a small space satellite was captured with the help of a harpoon. The accuracy of the shot is impressive, so we strongly recommend watching the video.

How to destroy a satellite?

The state corporation "Roskosmos" also has a veryAn interesting idea to rid the Earth orbit of space debris. In 2017, she filed a patent for the creation of a satellite, which, after the end of its service life, can be destroyed on its own. And what an excellent and economical idea - aerospace companies will not have to send garbage collection devices into orbit. The remains will disappear on their own.

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But how is this possible? Russian scientists propose creating satellites from materials that quickly evaporate when exposed to heat. It is believed that if a heating element is added to the design of the devices, they can be remotely activated so that it dissolves the entire outer shell. The only question arises - will the heating element itself dissolve? There is no answer to it yet.

See also: Is it possible to solve the problem of space debris by adding a self-destruction module?

The state corporation also suggests usingmaterials that decompose in open space. In this case, the devices will initially be covered with a protective film, which after the completion of the mission will be removed in an unknown way. Deprived of this layer, the devices will again decompose on their own.

What is the danger of space debris?

The dangers of space debris are excellenttells the film "Gravity" in 2013. The heroes of this film are the only surviving astronauts after the collision of their ship with space debris. This is the main danger of space debris - objects can crash into working devices and break them at great speed.

Be sure to read: Is space debris dangerous for the Earth?

What do you think of the new idea of ​​Roskosmos? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments, or in our Telegram chat.