Sputnik Stan

[Mike Holmes]

On 20/02/2012 00:44, Jonathan Smith wrote:

> On 17 February 2012 21:59, Mike Holmes<fofp at staffmail.ed.ac.uk>  wrote:
>
>> Or perhaps Sputnik Heidi:
>>
>> http://www.theregister.co.uk/**2012/02/16/swiss_junk_grabber_**satellite/<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/16/swiss_junk_grabber_satellite/>

> The Swiss are so clean and efficient! :)

Apparently they only have two satellites up there, but are determined to 
tidy up after themselves. If their project works though, they may find 
an industry in others buying the units to clear their own defunct sats.

Unless someone starts doing something, more large pieces will collide 
with other large pieces and start a cascade which results in a ring of 
17,500mph crap which is lethal to spacemen and sat launches alike. At 
that point, insuring a space launch would be about as likely as life 
insurance on a suicide bomber.

The later they leave the cleanup, the more expensive it's gonna be.

FoFP

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