Russian and US satellites collide

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7885051.stm

Russian and US satellites collide
US and Russian communications satellites have collided in space in the first such reported mishap. A satellite owned by the US company Iridium hit a defunct Russian satellite at high speed nearly 780km (485 miles) over Siberia on Tuesday, Nasa said. The risk to the International Space Station and a shuttle launch planned for later this month is said to be low. The impact produced a massive cloud of debris, and the magnitude of the crash is not expected to be clear for weeks. The reportedly non-operational Russian satellite, weighing 950kg (2,094lb), had been launched in 1993, while the Iridium satellite weighed 560 kg and was launched in 1997.

oops, must stop playing astaroids with real satellites

seanybiker

ha ha. The size of space. No indicators .

biko

I'd consider this an US act of provocation.

Overheal

biko wrote: »

I'd consider this an US act of provocation.

because they got hit by a defunct Russian satellite?

Simi

"One thing is for certain: there is no stopping them; the ants will soon be here. And I for one welcome our new insect overlords."

Caoimhín

Must have been ladies driving day at NASA and Russian space control centre.

Sleipnir

If you have GoogleEarth, check this out and you'll see why this really should be a more common occurance.

http://adn.agi.com/SatelliteDatabase/SatelliteDatabase.kmz

The Mad Hatter

Sleipnir wrote: »

If you have GoogleEarth, check this out and you'll see why this really should be a more common occurance.

http://adn.agi.com/SatelliteDatabase/SatelliteDatabase.kmz

Jesus Chraps!

biko

Overheal wrote: »

because they got hit by a defunct Russian satellite?

Yes, war war war
Nah, only messing mate.

Lirange

Warn the villagers in Siberia. Oy Oleg there's a huge sh!t cloud comin!

Zzippy

Sleipnir wrote: »

If you have GoogleEarth, check this out and you'll see why this really should be a more common occurance.

http://adn.agi.com/SatelliteDatabase/SatelliteDatabase.kmz

Have there actually been enough space missions/rocket launches to launch that many satellites?? :eek:

Sea Sharp

It's an intergalactic game of marbles!!!!

Sleipnir

Zzippy wrote: »

Have there actually been enough space missions/rocket launches to launch that many satellites?? :eek:

There's been about 6000 satellites launched since 1957, about half of which are no longer working. They're just floating around up there. That doesn't include all the rocket bodies for all the launches as well.

Tom65

Did they have little satellite babies?

Dord

Shouldn't they "clean up" any unused/unworking satellites?

thebigcheese22

Thats class!

Well tbh its 6000 satellites in a couple of million miles (at least) so no wonder its such a rare occurance!

They're saying it might hit the International Space Centre tho :eek:

Sleipnir

Dord wrote: »

Shouldn't they "clean up" any unused/unworking satellites?

It's expensive enough to get them up there in the first place. It would cost billions upon billions to get rid of them.
They really should have some sort of autodestruct I suppose so that they are set to re-enter the atmosphere near the end of their useful life.

longshanks

any truth in the rumour that there was a woman talking on her mobile while driving the offending satellite?

mike65

thebigcheese22 wrote: »

Well tbh its 6000 satellites in a couple of million miles (at least) so no wonder its such a rare occurance!

Try about 25,000 miles

Oink

Dord wrote: »

Shouldn't they "clean up" any unused/unworking satellites?

What for? There hasn't been any major catastrophe YET that has DIRECTLY affected their OWN countries. They don't have to take direct action just yet (See global warming, genocides blah blah etc.).

General Zod

surely I'm not the only person who's seen the start of You Only Live Twice?

Collided my arse!

longshanks

General Zod wrote: »

surely I'm not the only person who's seen the start of You Only Live Twice?

Collided my arse!

i'm on google earth right now searching japan for hidden secret volcano rocket base's

General Zod

longshanks wrote: »

i'm on google earth right now searching japan for hidden secret volcano rocket base's

I'm putting on my blue jumpsuit.

Voodu Child

mike65 wrote: »

Try about 25,000 miles

Try about 1.2 trillion km³ (for low earth orbit, 300-2000km)

Ruu_Old

And may God help you if that thing carried the Spice Channel!:mad:

longshanks

General Zod wrote: »

I'm putting on my blue jumpsuit.

ooh risky, you'll be the first to be shot. maybe ring in sick for a few days?

The Mad Hatter

Sleipnir wrote: »

It's expensive enough to get them up there in the first place. It would cost billions upon billions to get rid of them.
They really should have some sort of autodestruct I suppose so that they are set to re-enter the atmosphere near the end of their useful life.

I think if they self-destructed it'd be a lot harder to keep track of where all the bits were.

mike65 wrote: »

Try about 25,000 miles

I think that assumes that all the satellites are at the same distance from earth, no? Could be completely wrong about that...

They were playing Satellite conkers. Russia lost.

mike65

The Mad Hatter wrote: »

I think that assumes that all the satellites are at the same distance from earth, no? Could be completely wrong about that...

Earth-based satellites occupy 3 bands around the planet the furthest out is the Clark Belt where geo-stationary birds sit at 22,500 miles. The furthest distance between objects would be 25,000 + 8,000 miles (Earths diameter) and 25,000 miles round the other side so 58,000 miles then. I was a only bit out!

I think I have that right

Sleipnir

The Mad Hatter wrote: »

I think if they self-destructed it'd be a lot harder to keep track of where all the bits were.



I think that assumes that all the satellites are at the same distance from earth, no? Could be completely wrong about that...

Well the majority of them are in a low earth orbit. When I say self-destruct, I don't mean explode which would obviously create many more thousands of pieces. I mean they could be set to re-enter the atmosphere and burn up.

dez_warlock

Dord wrote: »

Shouldn't they "clean up" any unused/unworking satellites?

I imagine the cost would be astronomical :pac:

Overheal

mike65 wrote: »

Try about 25,000 miles

What orbital altitude though, what altitude range, and then do the math an calculate how much cubic area satellite orbits occupy. I'm sure its a lot. Earth's SA is 316944047 square miles, and the average orbital altitude of a satellite is 238857* between 0 and 22240 miles. In all, they cover in insanely wide area (im not getting the calculator though im sure a lot of math is involved with relation to spheres and pi to work out the total cubic area). With 6000+ satellites, a collision should be a very freak occurrence, especially when their orbits are usually so precisely calculated.

* whoops, that was totally the number for the moon. damned snap-googling.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Orbitalaltitudes.jpg