Description
Since the launch of the first sputnik on October 4, 1957 and the beginning of the space era, mankind has been enthusiastic about putting satellites into orbit, using the amazing opportunities provided by achievements of space telecommunications, navigation, earth observation, weather forecasting and microgravity science and technology. Few gave thought, however, to a possible negative impact on the space environment, for man’s space activity has in fact led to the formation of a new media named space debris, i.e. man-made objects and their fragments launched into space, currently inactive and no longer serving any useful purpose. These objects rangee in size from hundreds of microns up to decimeters, travelling at orbital velocities and remaining in orbit for many years and numbering in the billons. Space debris has become a serious hazard to space flights; indeed, collision with a metallic particle of debris with a radius of 1cm is energetically equivalent to a collision with a car half a ton in mass at a speed of 100Km per hour. Although space debris has been studied since the 1980’s the emerging constellations of the lowEarth orbiting communication satellites or systems providing interactive broadband services and the construction of the International Space Station have brought the space debris problem to the attention of a wide range of specialists. It is now important to take into account what has happened and offer solutions to this serious problem. Space Debris: Hazard Evaluation and Mitigation will be of interest to readers unfamiliar with the issues as well as experts and designers as it introduces concepts related to the problems of space ecology featuring actual data on the space debris environmet, new mathematical models for space debris evolution, production and self-production, description of the existing software, and concepts for shield design. Methods of collision risk assessment depending on attitudes and inclinations of orbits, collision hazard evaluation and suggestions for preventative measures are also covered. Smirnov; N.N. Moscow M.V. Lomonosov State University, Russia,
