Vol 2 Chapter 1342: Space junk cleaning technology

Seeing Li Weiguo waved his hand, Wu Hao smiled and changed the subject: "In fact, this laser strategic interception system has another function, or a huge effect.

That is, we can use it to remove some garbage debris in orbit, thereby avoiding the threat and damage of these debris to our important satellites and spacecraft. "

This is a very promising application. Li Weiguo and Wang Lianggong nodded involuntarily.

At present, there are a large number of garbage debris in the orbit of the earth. Ninety-nine percent of these debris are caused by human activities.

For example, fragments of some failed or decommissioned satellites, fragments of some spacecraft, and even fragments of military experiments.

These failed satellites and spacecraft collided with each other in orbit, resulting in more and smaller junk debris.

In recent years, there have been more and more satellites in space, especially some small micro-satellites, and large-scale satellite constellations sent to orbit on a large scale.

As a result, there are more and more junk debris in space orbit. These junk debris are threatening the satellites and spacecraft launched by mankind all the time.

In recent years, there have been too many incidents of debris hitting spacecraft and satellites. For example, the famous International Space Station has been hit by garbage debris more than once, and on several occasions it has been very serious, causing gas leakage in the cabin.

Therefore, various teams of scientists from various countries are conducting research on how to avoid these junk debris from causing damage to orbiting spacecraft or satellites.

Even countries are planning to establish an international convention to reduce the generation of space junk and debris. However, this aspect involves the interests of various countries, and the demands of various countries are different, so it is difficult to achieve it.

But there is also a consensus, that is to reduce the generation of space debris as much as possible. For example, before the satellites and spacecrafts of many countries are scrapped, they will use the remaining fuel to change the orbits of the satellites or spacecrafts, let them change directions, and fall into the atmosphere and burn them.

But, this is just an initiative, not binding at all. Moreover, the technical threshold for satellite orbit changes is relatively high, and the major aerospace powers have it. As for other countries that want to develop aerospace, being able to put satellites into orbit is a national celebration event, regardless of whether space debris will be generated. .

Even if they care about this, they don't have the strength and technology in this area. With the addition of some countries’ malfunctioning and out-of-control satellites, the junk in space orbit has not decreased, but is increasing and expanding.

In addition to these space junk affecting the safety of spacecraft and satellites currently in orbit, there is actually another reason.

That is, these space junk and debris occupy a lot of precious orbital resources. You must know that these orbital resources are limited and will disappear after being occupied.

That's why countries vie to launch satellites to seize these precious space orbit resources.

Because of this, many precious and very valuable orbits have some debris and debris generated after satellite decommissioning and failure.

These satellite and spacecraft wreckages and space junk debris continue to occupy these precious orbital resources. It takes a very slow process to make them all rely on the gravity of the earth to gradually reduce their orbits and fall into the atmosphere and burn them. Obviously, countries are currently unwilling to wait for such a long time, so they are conducting research in this area, how to clean up these space junk debris and satellite debris, and free up these valuable orbital resources.

Regarding how to clean up these satellite debris and space junk debris, the ideas of all countries are almost the same.

In the era when there was a space shuttle, Mi once used the space shuttle to successfully capture a damaged satellite in orbit, and then bring it back to Earth for repair. After the repair was completed, the rocket was launched into space again.

This is a satellite capture and recovery technology. Mi used the space shuttle to perform many such missions in space, and repaired and maintained some of the more valuable satellites in orbit.

One of the more famous ones is the several repairs and maintenance of the Hubble Space Telescope. However, this technology has suffered a series of major accidents on the Mi Space Shuttle and finally ended after its retirement.

In addition to the space shuttle, scientists have proposed several other satellite capture and recovery technologies. This technology can also be used to capture, recover, and clean up satellite debris.

To put it simply, it means launching a satellite into space, allowing the satellite to keep close to the target satellite wreckage, and then releasing the capture net or catching claws to catch the satellite or satellite wreckage, and then the satellite departs from orbit and the carrier falls into the earth. .

This technology is in accordance with the current technological level of major aerospace countries, and it is not difficult to realize it. It's just that, this technology is relatively sensitive.

Now that this technology can capture satellite debris, pull it into the atmosphere and burn it. So why can't it catch the satellites of other countries that are normally orbiting, and then pull them into the atmosphere and burn them.

Even before it is pulled into the atmosphere and burned down, the spy devices on the satellites are then used to steal the secrets on these satellites.

Although this technology is sensitive and easy to be opposed by various countries, the research on this technology has been carried out in secret in various countries.

It's just that until now, no one has publicly demonstrated the technology and experimental results in this area.

And there is another technology, which is similar to this technology, and also launches a satellite. However, this is not to chase and seize the target satellite or satellite wreckage, but to wait for the target satellite or the target satellite to take the initiative to "throw into the arms".

To put it simply, UU Reading www.uukanshu.com is that after the satellite is sent to the target orbit by the rocket, after the continuous orbit change, the orbit coincides with the target orbit, and then the satellite launches a huge space network. Then slow down and wait for the target satellite to hit this big net.

Of course, this is a passive method, and there is also an active method, which is to use the large network of satellites to capture and intercept space junk on relevant orbits.

Wait until enough space debris fragments are captured, and then satellites will drag these debris fragments into the atmosphere and burn them.

Finally, there is a more direct or rude method, that is, some major aerospace countries have their own anti-satellite weapons, which are actually anti-satellite missiles.

This type of anti-satellite missile will go directly into space, attack the target, and blow it up into smaller pieces.

But, this is to eliminate the target, but it forms more and smaller garbage fragments. These flying fragments are likely to accidentally injure satellites in other orbits, and even have a terrible chain reaction.

Therefore, this technology is generally not mentioned, but only used in emergency situations.