{"id":32696,"date":"2024-11-25T17:02:10","date_gmt":"2024-11-25T11:32:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=32696"},"modified":"2024-11-25T17:02:12","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T11:32:12","slug":"space-junk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/25-11-2024\/space-junk","title":{"rendered":"Space Junk"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Space<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As the number of satellites goes up, there is an <strong>increased concern about the Space Junk.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>More than 10,000 active satellites are in orbit around the planet. This number is estimated to shoot up to more than 100,000 by the 2030s.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As the number of satellites goes up, so will the space junk pollution.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Space Debris<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Junk from space objects falling to the earth involve <strong>relatively small fragments from rockets<\/strong> that survive the friction of the atmosphere.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Space junk can vary in size, from tiny bits like paint chips, to larger pieces like old satellites or rocket stages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In recent times, a large chunk of a 25-tonne Chinese rocket fell into the Indian Ocean in 2021.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Space junk is caused by the following factors:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Defunct Satellites:<\/strong> Satellites that no longer function are left in orbit, contributing to debris.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rocket Stages:<\/strong> Spent rocket stages and other launch vehicle parts that are abandoned after use remain in orbit.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Collisions: <\/strong>Objects in orbit often collide at high speeds, creating smaller debris fragments that increase the overall junk in space.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Spacecraft and Mission Debris:<\/strong> Parts of spacecraft or equipment released during missions (e.g., screws, paint flecks) contribute to the debris field.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Concerns<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Collision Risks:<\/strong> High-speed debris collisions can create more fragments, leading to a self-perpetuating cycle that threatens satellites, spacecraft, and the space environment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Threats to Operational Satellites:<\/strong> Debris can damage or destroy active satellites, increasing the risk to communication, weather, and navigation systems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Atmospheric Pollution: <\/strong>Larger debris re-entering Earth&#8217;s atmosphere can burn up or fall into oceans, potentially releasing toxic materials.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Space Accessibility:<\/strong> The growing debris field limits the safe use of Earth&#8217;s orbital space, making future missions more difficult and costly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Long-term Sustainability: <\/strong>The accumulation of debris could hinder space exploration for future generations, making space less accessible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This convention is one of the several international agreements that complement the <strong>Outer Space Treaty<\/strong>, the overarching framework guiding the <strong>behaviour of countries in space.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Liability Convention<\/strong> came into force in <strong>1972 <\/strong>and deals mainly with damage caused by space objects to other space assets, but it also applies to <strong>damage caused by falling objects on earth.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Convention makes the <strong>launching country \u201cabsolutely liable\u201d<\/strong> to pay compensation for any damage caused by its space object on the earth or to a flight in air.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The country where the junk falls can stake a claim for compensation if it has been damaged by the falling object.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The amount of compensation is to be decided <strong>\u201cin accordance with international law and the principles of justice and equity\u201d<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This provision of the Convention has resulted in compensation payment <strong>only once so far<\/strong> \u2014 when <strong>Canada sought damages from the then Soviet Union<\/strong>, for a satellite with radioactive substance that fell into an uninhabited region in its northern territory in 1978.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Suggestions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Active Debris Removal (ADR):<\/strong> Develop and deploy robotic systems or spacecraft designed to capture and remove large debris from orbit, such as the ClearSpace-1 mission by the European Space Agency.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Improved Satellite Design:<\/strong> Use lightweight materials and create satellites that minimize debris generation during collisions or failures.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Increased Tracking and Monitoring:<\/strong> Enhance space situational awareness with better tracking systems to monitor debris and avoid collisions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Collision Avoidance: <\/strong>Implement collision-avoidance maneuvers for operational satellites and space stations to prevent debris generation from accidental impacts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/everyday-explainers\/why-satellite-space-junk-may-be-bad-news-for-the-environment-9687794\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the number of satellites goes up, there is an increased concern about the Space Junk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32696"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32696\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32697,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32696\/revisions\/32697"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}