Solve a World Problem

We came up with three possible ideas for solving this problem:

• Spinning magnets

(The premise of this idea was to launch magnets into a "doomed orbit.(will crash into atmosphere somewhere across the world)" Those magnets would then be spun. Assuming the debris is magnetic, the debris would start to spin around the magnet, slowly getting closer. The affected debris and the magnet would then crash down to earth and burn up in the atmosphere.)

• Parts that can be de-orbited

(This idea was to have the parts be able to come out of orbit before they ever launched. Thus stopping the problem before it started. Although this was a nice idea, the problem has already started with the ISS being hit a few times by space debris. (you'll read more about that later))

• Space lasers

(This idea will be explained below.)

Using a UV laser we can melt a pocket into the debris. The melted metal in that pocket is then vaporized and shot out as it is replaced by more laser photons. Those photons are then turned into plasma and shot out like the metal. This turns the rock into a rocket engine. We can then fire the laser at the front (or as close as we can) of the debris and essentially slow it down to when its orbit meets the atmosphere.

The laser pulses 1000 times every 8 nanoseconds. The blue line in the graph below is the number of pulses to the power of the laser needed to slow down a 2.7 kg object by 30%. The red line is the amount to vaporize a 2.7 kg object. The most efficient number of pluses to power of the laser is 1000 pulses costing 1000J a pulse. That is about 1,000,000J per object or 30 cents. That is the same as lighting a 100w light bulb for 2.8 hours. To bring down the 27,000 tracked pieces of space debris would cost about $8,100.

The Department of Defense has a tracking system capable of hitting the exact same spot on a piece of space debris. Some thing we need to account for include; speed of light, orbit height, and speed of debris. We can do this by leading the laser 0.0015-0.0017 degrees ahead to account for the speed of light/debris and orbit height. The tracking system currently tracks 27,000 pieces, smallest being 2 inches.

Within the past few years there have been many incidents of space debris almost or colliding with a space station or rocket. On April 27 during payload separation of crew dragon a piece of space debris came within view of the space craft. Also fairly recently a small piece of space debris ripped straight through the arm on the ISS. If either of these incidents collided with the cabin people could have been seriously injured or killed.

Of all the presentation projects this has to have been my favorite. I really enjoyed sifting through collage level papers disecting complicated equations and explanations. Of the 6Cs I feel my group and I were amazing critical thinkers, we were able to look through complex research papers and find the answer we wanted. I also did good in communication, as a group we were on the same page agreeing on most things and asking questions when we didn't understand something. Although this was a great project I could work on my character. I could have been less rushing on the group. Although we got it done in time, I was a little frantic at the end.