Experts estimate that more than 3.5 million man-made objects are orbiting the earth. These objects - space debris - include whole and fragmentary parts of rocket bodies and other discarded equipment from space missions. About 24,500 of these objects are 1 centimeter across or larger. A 1-centimeter man-made object travels in orbit at roughly 22,000 miles per hour. If it hit a spacecraft, it would do about the same damage as would a 400-pound safe traveling at 60 miles per hour. The Government Accounting Office (GAO) reviews NASA's plans for protecting the space station from debris, the extent and precision of current NASA and Defense Department (DOD) debris-tracking capabilities, and the extent to which debris has already affected shuttle operations. GAO recommends that the space debris model be updated, and that the findings be incorporated into the plans for protecting the space station from such debris. GAO further recommends that the increased risk from debris to the space shuttle operations be analyzed.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Space program: Space debris a potential threat to Space Station and shuttle


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    1990-04-01


    Type of media :

    Miscellaneous


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




    Space Program: Space Debris a Potential Threat to Space Station and Shuttle

    S. A. Schwartz / R. W. Beers / C. M. Phillips et al. | NTIS | 1990


    Space Shuttle Debris Transport

    R. J. Gomez | NTIS | 2010


    Space Shuttle Debris Transport

    Gomez, Reynaldo J., III | NTRS | 2010