RMIT boffins fast-track space junk search

Researchers at Australia s RMIT University, working with EOS Space Systems, reckon they can plot the trajectory of space junk with just two five-second samples of the target's trajectory. EOS has previously proposed using lasers to bump objects in orbit, and is building a joint tracking facility in Western Australia with …

[Anonymous Coward]

Boring job in the offing.

It's all great fun until someone gets an eye put out.

http://youtu.be/DakRYsUIiIE

[Infernoz]

Why is it all still there?

Hasn't anyone thought to gradually collect the hazardous moving junk with large area satellites designed to retain the material then take it to burn up on reentry.

[cray74]

Re: Why is it all still there?

"Hasn't anyone thought to gradually collect the hazardous moving junk with large area satellites designed to retain the material then take it to burn up on reentry."

Lots of people have thought of it, but space is big and the debris occupies many different orbits. A "large" satellite won't necessarily sweep up enough of it to be useful, and it might just end up making debris. After all, it's hard to hit an object at 5 to 10 kilometers per second and not generate more debris.

Lasers, be they installed on sharks, satellites, or Australia, might have a better chance of de-orbiting debris with less mess.

[poopypants]

I wonder how much

of the funding for EOS Space Systems comes from the Defence sector.