How Space Debris Is Affecting Our Environment

Wiyld Talks

In this episode, Prof Claude Nicollier talks about his journey and raises some important questions. He is the first Swiss to travel into space and became the first European to spacewalk during Discovery space shuttle mission

Debris: it is a reality. What you are saying is right. On one side we have a lot of debris - many more than 2000 and in lower orbit we have about 30,000 debris that is larger than 10 cms in size, and we have active satellites also but less than debris. There is no doubt that the satellites and debris on the low orbit increase the risk of collission. Fortunately, all the objects that really in lower orbit and are below 400 kms have a relatively low lifetime. It is really the satellite or debris that are 600, 700 or 1000 kms above the earth surface that are concern because then the lifetime is several decades or centuries. And that is the problem - the lifetime of the object very high in the orbit.

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