MAIN ARTICLE: Japan pioneers space junk kamikaze satellites.
Japan plans on building micro satellites that will latch on to space junk and do a deorbit burn with it. Should America just buy the service or create our own system?
Poll Results: Yesterday's poll had lower then average turnout but higher then average support for space.
Star Trek: In the News. One small step closer to ‘Star Trek’?
Yesterday's Comments: "Consider using diaries to smurf the polls. I'll add links to Science Saturdays until the contest is over." - Neon Vincent
Today's Poll: Buy or Build.
CLEANING UP SPACE GARBAGE:
The Japanese may have a solution for some of the orbital space debris or 'space junk'. A small micro satellite that will latch onto a piece of space junk then move to a lower orbit. JAXA, the Japanese space agency, did not have this on their english version website that I could locate but the story is being picked up on a lot of space news blogs.
Japan pioneers debris-killing kamikaze satellites
"Japan’s space agency (JAXA) is planning to use microsatellites to clear orbits from space junk. The robotic cleaner grabs debris with a robotic arm and then lunges down to force the dangerous pieces back into atmosphere. (image - NASA tracks 18,000 objects)
The 140-kilogram device uses electrodynamics tethers to drag down the debris. The tethers are conductive wires with lengths of up to several kilometres, which can be used to generate propulsion.
The Japanese cleaner approaches debris, attaches itself to it with a robotic arm, and then moves to a lower orbit, unwinding the tether from a reel. An electric current is generated in the tether, which interacts with Earth’s magnetic field to create drag, which slows down the debris making it re-enter the atmosphere and subsequently burn up. The satellite, of course, is destroyed in the process as well.
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There has been a lot of talk in the space community lately because of the increase in debris caused by recent manmade events. The Chinese testing of an anti-satellite missile, the Pentagon quickly responsed by shooting another one down then a recent crash (see "Two Satellites crash in space & the A-Train.", 'Americans in Space', Feb 14, 2009) of two satellites.
Japan believes they can build these for 4 million per satellite. Launch costs would still be prohibitive but if SpaceX's Falcon 1 stays at 7 million per launch and works out to be a viable design it could launch several of these at a time. Should America be working on the same thing or just let the Japanese develop the system and buy the service from them?
Leave a comment with your thoughts on this system.
PAGE 2:
The International Space Station (ISS) finally received it's fourth and final solar array wing. It is actually starting to look like the pictures we have been seeing for the last ten years.
![Photobucket](http://i379.photobucket.com/albums/oo232/vladislaw_photo/iss3.jpg)
Space Station at Full Length, Full Power
"Spanning the length of a football field (including the end zones) and weighing approximately the same as a loaded space shuttle orbiter, the International Space Station's (ISS) integrated truss, or backbone, was completed in orbit this week after nine years of assembly.
"We're the largest space structure in all of history and it is really amazing to be on-board," exclaimed ISS Expedition 18 commander Mike Fincke on the morning after the final piece of the truss was attached.
The 356-foot, girder-like truss supports the station's living modules and laboratories, as well as eight 115-foot solar array wings that generate as much electricity as would be needed to power 42 2,800 square-foot homes.
"It is just a remarkable accomplishment for the NASA team, as well as for Boeing, which designed and built this integrated truss assembly," commented Dan Hartman, NASA's manager for the integration and operations of the space station."
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POLL RESULTS:
Yesterday's poll was the weekly tracking poll on space spending. Support, by DKOS members participating in the poll, on the high end was above average at 43% with those prefering a cut in space spending standing steady at 16%.
WEEKLY TRACKING POLL ARCHIVES:
Sat Mar 21, 2009, Sat Mar 14, 2009, Mar 07, 2009
Sat Feb 28, 2009, Sat Feb 21, 2009, Sat Feb 14, 2009, Sat Feb 07, 2009, Sat Jan 31, 2009
Sat Jan 24, 2009, Sat Jan 17, 2009, Sun Jan 11, 2009, Sat Jan 03, 2009, Sat Dec 27, 2008
Sat Dec 20, 2008, Sat Dec 13, 2008, Sat Dec 6, 2008, Sat Nov 29, 2008, Sat Nov 22, 2008
STAR TREK: In the News.
One small step closer to ‘Star Trek’?
Technological advance at Northrop Grumman brings era of combat lasers closer
"LOS ANGELES - LOS ANGELES — Northrop Grumman Corp. engineers have developed an electric laser capable of producing a deadly 100-kilowatt ray of light, a major milestone that is expected to help transform what was once a "Star Trek" or "Star Wars" space fantasy into reality.
The landmark achievement—long considered a Holy Grail for weapon developers—opens the way for development of laser weapons small enough to fit in a fighter jet yet powerful enough to destroy an enemy craft in the blink of an eye.
After more than four decades of frustrations and failures, "you can now see that the battlefield applications of laser weapons are becoming a real possibility," said Barry Watts, senior fellow and an expert on so-called directed energy weapons at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments think tank in Washington."
YESTERDAY'S COMMENTS:
"Buran...
The program that sunk the Soviet Union. By far the costliest military program in the history of spaceflight (by GDP).
Also, the only completed orbiter was destroyed in a building collapse. The only one left is an incomplete model.
Besides that, Buran would probably be more costly to operate then our shuttle would be, seeing as pretty much the entire booster system is throwaway, unlike us with only disposing of the ET.
Silly Glushko." - sparkmaster
"Perhaps if there was a Buran shuttle left But yes, there's no functioning one left.
Also, when one looks at their plan of 'saving' the Skylab, one has to chuckle a little bit.
The first launch of Buran was in 1988. The first launch of the shuttle was in 81. Already in 81 the shuttle was several years behind schedule. One of the original plans for one it it's first flights was for it to help boost the decaying orbit of Skylab.
That changed when it became obvious that the shuttle would not make it into orbit before Skylab went down in '79.
The first of the Buran shuttles wasn't even under construction until 1980.. one year AFTER the skylab went down.
The Russian who is quoted in that article is being a touch jingoistic at best and a flat out liar at worst.
The shuttle was not designed to 'attack the soviet union'. Yes, one of the planned uses was to have launched into a circumpolar orbits for the placement of spy satellites, but that never materialized (though yes, some spy sats were launched by the shuttle).
The original article is nothing but national pride puffery." - Decados
TODAY'S POLL:
Sunday's weekly poll: "So let it be written, so let it be done." is about space debris mitigation. If Japan follows through with building microsats for deorbiting space junk should America just buy this service or design, develop and build our own?
Read other NASA and Space diaries on DKOS.