What is Kessler Syndrome and how it explains what's going to happen to us from space on February 28 – Teach Me About Science

Source: BBC

syndrome Kessler This is a theoretical phenomenon proposed by astrophysicist Donald J. Kessler and 1978It describes a situation where the density of objects in orbit around the Earth is so high Conflicts between them will occur increasingly. It can trigger A chain reaction of collisions, called a collision layer, can produce significant amounts of space debris. These debris can collide with others Objects in orbitMake more pieces and increase the number Space debris can pose a hazard to operations Space and active satellites.

Well, as all this was about to happen in real life, a disturbing incident happened that explains it perfectly. Risk of the Kessler effect. On February 28, the Russian satellite Kosmos 2221, which was not operational, deviated from its planned orbit. is approaching Dangerous for the satellite Time is up from NASA. The incident caused immediate alarm Conflict All the dangers associated with the proliferation of objects in Earth's orbit were known.

Concerns about space debris have grown in recent years, especially with the rise of communications satellite constellations like those of Elon Musk and his company. Used by SpaceX with their Starlink program. Musk has ambitious plans to launch thousands of additional satellites in the coming years, which could significantly increase the risk of collisions and exacerbations of Kessler syndrome.

Importantly, space agencies and private companies must work together to develop and adhere to responsible space disposal practices, as well as implement mitigation measures such as safe orbiting of end-of-life satellites.

Source: NASA

The United Nations (UN) is actively monitoring the space debris problem and has urged countries to adopt guidelines and procedures to reduce the generation of new debris and to clean up existing space debris. In addition, several technological solutions, such as space fishing nets and satellites with scavenging capabilities, have been proposed to capture and dispose of large orbital debris.

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To solve the problem of method UsefulAll parties must be interested Cooperation in space exploration and use and follow responsible practices. These include space agencies, private companies, governments and international organizations. should be Set clear rules and space debris management protocols, and investment in space debris technologies research and development. Mitigation and cleaning.

With an expected increase in numbers satellites Inside Around the circular pathDriven by projects like Starlink of SpaceXA A space disaster that can have serious consequences in space and on Earth.

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