NEW DELHI (PTI): Artificial debris in space is growing at a catastrophic rate and will pose a major hazard to future space operations, aerospace experts have warned.

The accumulation of this debris, best described as man-made space Garbage, is creating a band-like Structure around earth that could jeopardize space missions, experts studying orbital debris said.

Scientists have catalogued over 18,000 pieces of space debris and believe millions more are in orbit tiny and invisible from earth. They include old satellites, rocket fragments, spacecraft mechanisms and even Necks of paint.

At the current growth rate, a persistent band of debris will be Produced, presenting a “serious, long term hazard to future operation in space,” a new research report in the European Space Agency (ESA) journal said.

 The most serious debris source is the fragmentation of satellite payloads and rockets. Researchers estimate over the past 30 years at least 100 such break-ups have released many thousands of smaller fragments into orbit.

 Solar radiation and the extreme thermal environment in space can break down the bonding agent in paints coating the surface of spacecraft to release thousands of tiny flecks of paint that could orbit earth for years.

Mcinnes had analyzed debris production to show that a growing volume of traffic to earth orbit coupled with an increase in debris deposition rate can lead to “cata Strophic growth” within 50 years.

A 0.2-mm diameter paint fleck reportedly hit the window of the space shuttle during its seventh mission, causing a tiny crater. Researcher’s believed that a particle of one-cm could cause serious damage and endanger the lives of astronauts. The break-up of U.S. seven delta second stage rockets is said to account for nearly 30% of the debris in orbit.

Mcinnes said that the total debris deposition is of less importance than the policies that control the altitudes at which the debris is deposited.

If inactive payloads are transferred from the 1000 km band to a local minimum density distribution, the collisional growth could be substantially delayed, he said.

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Article extracted from this publication >> August 12, 1994