Space+debris

== =Introduction -= Space Debris is something that has always been in our solar system, even long before we discovered the random objects floating in its orbit. The Vanguard I is the oldest existing piece of space debris to be cataloged. The year 1958 is when we first began discovering space debris. The U.S. Strategic Command catalogues all the debris found so it is not considered a hostile missile in years to come.

=What We Know=

Space Debris- artificial rubbish orbiting in space
= = Other Names for Space Debris- Orbital Debris, Space Junk, Space Waste

The History of Space Debris
The remains of a satellite named Vanguard I is the longest surviving piece of space junk. In past years, the concept of Space Debris has become more and more of a problem.

The History of Comets
A comet is a small body that orbits the sun and when close enough it shows a visible tail (also known as a coma). Inside the coma is something called the comet nuclei which are loose collections of ice, dust and small rock particles. Comets have many different orbital periods, they can be a few years or a hundred, or thousands. Some pass through the inner solar system only one time before they go out into the interstellar space zone. Comets known as "Short-period comets" originate in the Kuiper Belt and Long-period ones originate a great distance from the Sun, in the Oort Cloud, which has debris left in it from condensation of the Solar Nebula. Comets leave a trail of debris in their wake.

=Other Information=

Space Debris Consists of...

 * Spacecraft parts
 * Nuts and bolts off of spacecrafts
 * Solar cells
 * Abandoned satellites
 * Paint chips
 * Nuclear reactor cores
 * Spent rocket stages
 * Solid fuel fragments

Fun Facts of Space Debris

 * The oldest debris, the Vanguard I, was launched on March 17th, 1958, and only worked for 6 years.
 * Edward White, of the 1965 Gemini 4 space walk, lost one of his gloves. It stayed in orbit for one month and became the most dangerous piece of clothing with the speed of 28,000 km.
 * In its 10 years of operation, the Mir space station released over 200 objects, most of which were "rubbish bags".
 * The most space debris to be created by spacecraft destruction, was the upper stage from a Pegasus rocket which was launched in 1994. The explosion was in 1996.
 * There are over a million pieces of space junk, around 9,000 of which are smaller than a tennis ball.

What are some dangers of Space Debris?
Though most Space Debris is small, it travels along fairly fast. The average relative impact speed is 21,600 mph (36,000 kmph). At a speed this fast, a collision can be very damaging. Here are some examples.
 * A 1mm metal chip and a .22 caliber long rifle bullet can do the same amount of damage.
 * A pea-sized ball at 21,60 mph is the same as a 400-lb safe moving at 60 mph.
 * A metal tennis ball sizes sphere is equal to 25 sticks of dynamite.

=What We Want To Learn=

 Questions Answered
It is cataloged by NASA. Space debris is determined by how it got there, and what substance it is. It is considered space debris if it is found but not supposed to be in space. Comets, asteroids, and meteoroids are better known as space rocks. They are rocks that move in spaces orbit. It comes out of our space shuttles either by falling on accident or we dispose of it. The debris that gets scattered in space's orbit does NOT come back to earth. It floats around loosing and gaining speed. The U.S. has around 400 but in total, there are somewhere between 600-800. It could become a problem if actions to mitigate the threat of space debris are not taken. Space debris consist of paint flecks, old satellite parts, space shuttle parts, a spacesuit glove which was let go of on accident. Or just anything that isn't supposed to be in space. They chip off of our space shuttles and roam around space. Space has zero gravity and because of this, it moves faster than it would in earths orbit. Solar wind sweeps evaporated dust particles back in a long tail like form. Comets are lumps of frozen water, gas, ice, and dust. Comets are generally near the sun. Comets were founded by a Dutch astronomer named Jan Oort. He founded the Oort Cloud, which houses comets, in 1950. Comet Borrelly, Comet Brorsen-Metcalf, Comet d'Arrest, Comet Encke, Comet Giacobini-Zinner, Comet Hale-Bopp, Comet Halley, Comet Hyakutake, Comet Ikey-Seki, Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, Comet Swift-Tuttle, Comet Temple 1, Comet Temple 2, Comet Temple-Tuttle, Comet Wild 2.
 * How is space debris counted?
 * How is space debris determined?/ How is it considered space debris?
 * What about comets, asteroids, and meteoroids?
 * How does debris get in space?
 * Does it come back to earth?/ Where does it all go?
 * How many satellites are in space?
 * Is space debris dangerous?
 * What is considered space debris?
 * How are paint chips in space?
 * Why do they move so fast?/ How can they move so fast?
 * Why is it unlikely that a large asteroid will hit the earth during our lifetimes?
 * Where do meteoroids come from?
 * Why do comets have tails?
 * What are comets?
 * Where are comets in the solar system?
 * Who found comets?
 * What are some important comets that have been visible in my lifetime (since 1991)?