Scientists propose using lasers to clean up low-Earth space debris
- 8 years ago
COLOGNE, GERMANY — German scientists have proposed using laser pulses to clean up small, irregular shaped space debris.
The study was published by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics. The authors propose using high-energy laser pulses to change the orbit of the debris, leading it to re-enter and burn-up in the atmosphere.
"Laser damage is usually considered to be a negative phenomenon, but this paper considers a significant positive application of laser-induced damage. In this study, the damage produced by laser beams serves a highly useful and positive purpose by cleaning up the space around Earth," Vitaly Gruzdev of University of Missouri commented in a press release.
According to NASA, there are nearly 3,000 tons of space debris in the low-Earth orbit. Most spacecraft can be protected from debris up to 1 cm in diameter, thanks to Whipple Shields. However, debris between 1 to 10 cm in size are particularly dangerous as they cannot be dodged or blocked. Space debris can travel at speeds up to 28,000 kph, which is fast enough for a small piece to damage satellite or a spacecraft.
The study was published by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics. The authors propose using high-energy laser pulses to change the orbit of the debris, leading it to re-enter and burn-up in the atmosphere.
"Laser damage is usually considered to be a negative phenomenon, but this paper considers a significant positive application of laser-induced damage. In this study, the damage produced by laser beams serves a highly useful and positive purpose by cleaning up the space around Earth," Vitaly Gruzdev of University of Missouri commented in a press release.
According to NASA, there are nearly 3,000 tons of space debris in the low-Earth orbit. Most spacecraft can be protected from debris up to 1 cm in diameter, thanks to Whipple Shields. However, debris between 1 to 10 cm in size are particularly dangerous as they cannot be dodged or blocked. Space debris can travel at speeds up to 28,000 kph, which is fast enough for a small piece to damage satellite or a spacecraft.