Artificial satellites and rockets exploding in orbit...

[Rick]

Space blast's huge debris field

The explosion of a Russian rocket stage in space may have created over 1,000 pieces of orbiting debris which could threaten other spacecraft.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6398513.stm

See also: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070226.html
And: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070222.html

[mickw]

The planned Friday launch of a new U.S. spy satellite has been delayed by space debris from last week's destruction of its disabled predecessor, the mission's launch provider said Wednesday.
Initially slated for a Feb. 29 liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the National Reconnaissance Office's classified NROL-28 reconnaissance spacecraft will stand down for at least two weeks to avoid the orbiting remains of the destroyed USA-193 satellite, the United Launch Alliance said in a mission update.

More:  http://www.space.com/news/080228-spy-satellite-debris-delay.html

Looks like the missile didn't do such a great job after all   

[Rick]

Yep. It made a mess. Why am I not surprised. I just hope most of the rubbish does come down sooner rather than later. Maybe next time they'll find a couple of braincells and actually think things through.

[mickw]

At least SETI stands a better chance of finding intelligence 

[Rick]

(...from the "Well, they would say that, wouldn't they" department...)

An American admiral says that all significant orbital debris from the recent missiling of a duff spy satellite by US warships has now burnt up.

Reuters reports that Rear Admiral Alan Hicks, head of the ship-mounted element of the US ballistic-missile defence programme, made the remarks at a conference in Washington.

"There's very little left up there of any size," said Hicks. "We're down to where there are very very small particles that will burn off as they come down in the atmosphere."

More: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/20/satellite_intercept_debris_wrapup/

[MarkS]

This is a very interesting image - it shows all the satellites in orbit plus discarded rocket sections and all other manner of trackable space debris.  The Clarke belt is very obvious.

http://www.esa.int/esa-mmg/mmg.pl?b=b&type=I&collection=Spacecraft%20Operations&single=y&start=2&size=b

Hi-res version here:
http://esamultimedia.esa.int/images/spacecraft-operations/space_debris/Bee-Hive-5_H1.jpg

[Tony G]

Hi Mark,

This is quite interesting as well, if you are looking at Satellites,

http://science.nasa.gov/Realtime/jtrack/3d/JTrack3D.html

Tony G

[Tony G]

Forgot to add that once the satellite page has downloaded, left click and hold down and move to see the 3d effect, and click on any of the dots as these represent the satellites and it gives the path.

Tony G

[MarkS]

Iridium collides with defunct Russian satellite.  Clouds of Debris.  Risk to ISS is "low"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7885051.stm

[JohnP]

Well it had to happen sooner or later considering how much stuff is up there now...! The big question is I wonder if they knew they were going to collide?

[MarkS]

Related story about monitoring orbits here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7885750.stm

[Ian]

the next question is, will Iridium be expecting some contribution from the Russians to replace the destroyed satellite?

[Rick]

Suddenly there ar a whole lot more bits flying around.  I wonder which one's next for a crash... 

[Mike]

There are circa. 6000 satellites up there travelling at about 14,000 mph. It is only a matter of time !

[Rick]

I wonder how many fragments those two became. The collision was high enough to ensure that most of them will stay in some sort of orbit for a while...