PAINT AND METAL SHAVINGS IN SPACE
These are links to the four main sections in the article:
Introduction to paint and metal splinters in space
Causes of paint and metal shavings in space
Solutions to the problem
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Introduction to paint and metal splinters in space
Paint and metal splinters come of rockets and shuttles every time they launch. You may think that something as small as 1cm could not damage something as big as a rocket. However in space things change for the worse. A small piece of paint travels at 20 000 miles an hour. The splinters often collide with the shuttles and can cause minor accidents. The shuttles often have to replace windows and such like after a collision. The cost of armour plating shuttles is great and yet it has to be done to protect the crew. The shuttles are very fragile in our terms, as their coating can be fractured with a finger nail. Obviously they are stronger for the occurences they have to endure, such as passing through the atmosphere, but they are no match for the mini-rockets.
Causes of paint and metal shavings in space
All along there have been small pieces of natural waste in space. These are all rock and come
from meteorites moving around our orbit. The small pieces of rock often collide with shuttles, but are destroyed on impact.
However since the increase of space travel has taken place, the amount of human trash, E.g.
- paint shavings
- bolts
- metal splinters
has increased drastically. This means more hits every mission and therefore more protection needed.
The origin of the trash is obviously from the craft that travel the skies: shuttles, rockets, satellites.
Say for instance a new piece of the international space station is being fitted. The astronauts, have to be
very careful not to drop any bolts or screws, because a loose screw could compromise a future mission.
Another possible cause is that existing pieces of debris could break of bits of a shuttle while in flight.
This for obvious reasons is a dangerous situation to be in, when your shuttle is being taken apart and you cannot see
or stop the destruction.
It seems that this problem will continue until adequate measures are taken to prevent small pieces of rubbish
entering the heavens.
To find a way around the space debris problem, serious thought and money must be put towards finding a solution. Not only this but more research must take place to find out just how much debris is going to result from the launch. The public has to take action against rash decisions and must let there worries be known.
We are at the moment stuck on this planet and if we wish to one day leave, we must make sure that we can still get out of the galaxy and our own orbit. Splinters of paint and debris are not as bigger threat as rocket booster stages, but they can still cause millions of dollars of damage to craft travelling in space. To prevent earth from generating rings like Saturn, we will have to work together to develop a tool or machine that can capture the particles and prevent them from causing any more damage.
Of course, the best way to stop the splinters from entering space is to make sure that they cannot come of the rocket. That way we won't have to worry about tiny missiles, that we cannot see detroying satellites and rockets.
| Introduction to paint and metal splinters in space Causes of paint and metal shavings in space Solutions to the problem |
To return to this point, you must click this symbol:
Introduction to paint and metal splinters in space
Paint and metal splinters come of rockets and shuttles every time they launch. You may think that something as small as 1cm could not damage something as big as a rocket. However in space things change for the worse. A small piece of paint travels at 20 000 miles an hour. The splinters often collide with the shuttles and can cause minor accidents. The shuttles often have to replace windows and such like after a collision. The cost of armour plating shuttles is great and yet it has to be done to protect the crew. The shuttles are very fragile in our terms, as their coating can be fractured with a finger nail. Obviously they are stronger for the occurences they have to endure, such as passing through the atmosphere, but they are no match for the mini-rockets.
Causes of paint and metal shavings in space
All along there have been small pieces of natural waste in space. These are all rock and come
from meteorites moving around our orbit. The small pieces of rock often collide with shuttles, but are destroyed on impact.
However since the increase of space travel has taken place, the amount of human trash, E.g.
- paint shavings
- bolts
- metal splinters
The origin of the trash is obviously from the craft that travel the skies: shuttles, rockets, satellites. Say for instance a new piece of the international space station is being fitted. The astronauts, have to be very careful not to drop any bolts or screws, because a loose screw could compromise a future mission.
Another possible cause is that existing pieces of debris could break of bits of a shuttle while in flight. This for obvious reasons is a dangerous situation to be in, when your shuttle is being taken apart and you cannot see or stop the destruction.
It seems that this problem will continue until adequate measures are taken to prevent small pieces of rubbish entering the heavens.
To find a way around the space debris problem, serious thought and money must be put towards finding a solution. Not only this but more research must take place to find out just how much debris is going to result from the launch. The public has to take action against rash decisions and must let there worries be known.
We are at the moment stuck on this planet and if we wish to one day leave, we must make sure that we can still get out of the galaxy and our own orbit. Splinters of paint and debris are not as bigger threat as rocket booster stages, but they can still cause millions of dollars of damage to craft travelling in space. To prevent earth from generating rings like Saturn, we will have to work together to develop a tool or machine that can capture the particles and prevent them from causing any more damage.
Of course, the best way to stop the splinters from entering space is to make sure that they cannot come of the rocket. That way we won't have to worry about tiny missiles, that we cannot see detroying satellites and rockets.