[amsat-bb] Re: 'Zombie-sat' and the clever orbital dance

[Auke de Jong, VE6PWN]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bruce Bostwick" <lihan161051 at sbcglobal.net>
To: <amsat-bb at amsat.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2010 7:54 AM
Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: 'Zombie-sat' and the clever orbital dance
>> They will need a space fly swatter... More seriously some kind of
>> solution will have to be found to discard useless space debris and
>> junk.

I would venture to guess that we will develop the ability to gather and 
deorbit much of the higher-orbit space junk at around the same time that the 
junk density reaches a critical level as to become hazardous...provided that 
we don't nuke ourselves back into the stone-ages in the meantime!  ;)
I wonder if the satellite operators might soon be forced by regulators to 
put efforts into developting this ability, just as they are supposed to 
provide for end-of-life adjustments to "graveyard" orbit now?

Auke