Japanese researchers are working on satellite technology that would use wood components to eliminate space debris, allowing objects to burn up on reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere, according to a new report.
Sumitomo Forestry, a 400-year-old Japanese woodworking company, is partnering with Kyoto University to develop the technology, the BBC said Tuesday.
NASA estimated more than a decade ago that 95% of human orbit was in space orbit. They come from useless satellites, discarded rocket levels and other discarded mission materials.
Most of it is relatively small, according to the European Space Agency. Out of 128 million pieces of debris in orbit, only about 34,000 objects are larger than 10 cm. But when things hit bigger, they do much, much less. And they can travel more than 20,000 mph, making even small particles dangerous.
There are also about 2,800 satellites working in orbit, according to the Union of Drag scientists, which maintains a satellite database. Governments and space companies plan to launch thousands more in the future.
Experts are concerned that too much debris in orbit could launch problems in the future, possibly narrowing the airway window. Larger objects coming out of orbit are also dangerous for life on earth
Space jets are threatening satellites and could be deadly to astronauts. Some launches from countries that are less concerned with safety protocols can hurt large chunks of material back down to Earth.
In May, the heart of a Chinese rocket came down in pieces across West Africa. If he had the reentry minutes before, he could have entered New York City.
Wooden satellites would break up completely, instead of going back to the surface or leaving tiny particles that could break up spaceships, solar panels or a spade in the future.
“We are very concerned that all the satellites entering the Earth’s atmosphere will burn out and form tiny particles of alumina that will float in the upper atmosphere for several years,” said a professor. Kyoto University and Japanese astronaut Takao Doi told the BBC. “Ultimately it will affect the Earth’s environment. ”
In October, two pieces of debris hit 615 miles above the Earth. One was a non-operational Russian satellite launched in 1989 and the other a Chinese rocket stage from 2009.
The objects passed within 39 feet of each other nearby, but an accident could break into thousands of pieces and then pose a risk for more accidents with other objects.