Is the problem of space debris real or overstated?
It’s quite real. NORAD tracks all the space debris in orbit. One piece of paint the size of a penny could punch a hole in the Space Shuttle and cause catastrophe if it hit it in a vulnerable area… quote for you, and article link to illustrate my point: http://www.animatedsoftware.com/spacedeb/spacedeb.htm A BB-sized piece of aluminum hurtling around the earth at 22,000 miles per hour has about as much kinetic energy as a bowling ball does at 60 miles an hour. In other words, if a BB-sized piece of aluminum strikes the space shuttle from a perpendicular direction, that is, comes in from the side, it will have the same force as a bowling ball would if dropped on the space shuttle from about 100 feet high. If the BB-sized piece of aluminum collides head-on with the space shuttle, the effect would be much, much worse. To put this in perspective, the heat shields on the space shuttle can be scratched and br
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