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tech / sci.electronics.design / Laser System Aimed At Destroying ‘Junkyard’ Of Space Debris Now Under Development

Laser System Aimed At Destroying ‘Junkyard’ Of Space Debris Now Under Development

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Subject: Laser_System_Aimed_At_Destroying_‘Junkyard’_Of_S
pace_Debris_Now_Under_Development
From: bloggs.f...@gmail.com (Fred Bloggs)
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by: Fred Bloggs - Thu, 19 Oct 2023 11:45 UTC

The great garbage patch in the sky!

NASA is funding the study of a system to do this. It sounds heavy handed at first, but it's actually quite clever:

'Rather than annihilating its targets, the approach is subtler and more scientific. Lee explains that the lasers would use a process called ablation, vaporizing a small portion of debris and creating a high-velocity plasma plume. This reaction pushes the object into a different orbit or out of orbit entirely. “The process of laser ablation and photon pressure induces a change in velocity in the target debris, which ultimately alters the size and shape of its orbit,” Lee says.'

'In essence, the system won’t just blast space junk out of existence; it will strategically “nudge” them away from potential collision paths, safeguarding vital assets. “Using a system of multiple lasers can create multiple engagement opportunities with debris and lead to more efficient control of the trajectories,” Lee adds, emphasizing the strategic advantage of using a network over a single laser.'

The space is so dense with debris now, this is a growing problem:

“Kessler Syndrome,” a domino effect where one collision in space leads to a chain reaction

https://www.spacechatter.com/2023/10/18/laser-system-wvu-space-debris/

Subject	Author
Laser System Aimed At Destroying ‘Junkyard’ Of S	Fred Bloggs