Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
 |
Comments on Terminator Tether - EDT Solution To Space Debris Update
Studies have shown that low Earth orbit is not a limitless resource and should be managed more carefully. Some sort of debris-mitigation measures are needed to solve the problem of old, unusable satellites and space junk. (Read
the complete story)
| "TUI tested their concepts on Zero Gravity Corporation's modified 727, the G-FORCE ONE. If you are interested in conducting microgravity research, log onto http://www.NoGravity.com" (Tim Bailey 11/17/2004 9:40:38 PM) |
| "How likely is this technology to be more reliable and work at the end of a satellite's life than a de-orbit burn from a simple rocket? How does it's mass compare to that of the rocket?" (Jerry Hollombe 12/4/2004 10:11:44 PM) |
| "Great questions, Jerry; here are the answers from Dr. Robert Hoyt: 1. How likely is this technology to be more reliable and work at the end of >a satellite's life than a de-orbit burn from a simple rocket? The rocket itself can be quite simple, but remember that in order to deorbit a spacecraft using a rocket, you have to aim the rocket in the right direction. That means that the satellite's attitude determination & control, power, processing, and other systems all need to be highly functional, which isn't often the case at the satellite's end-of-life. The Terminator Tether is being designed to be very reliable after a long on-orbit storage time. This drives its cost up somewhat, but that is still much less expensive than designing the whole spacecraft to have the reliability to have everything working after a 5 or 10 year lifetime. 2. How does it's mass compare to that of the rocket? Depends upon the orbit and how quickly you want to bring the satellite down, but it can be a substantial savings. Bringing down a LEO satellite using a solid rocket can require 5-20% of the spacecraft's mass be reserved for deorbit fuel. A Terminator Tether will typically mass just 1% of the spacecraft mass. The mass 'savings' can be reallocated to fuel for longer operation or other uses." (Bill Christensen 12/13/2004 1:13:34 PM) |
| "I notice the diagram for the tether has a "shroud" component. Presumably this must be jettisoned before the tether can be deployed creating an additional piece of space junk?" (Josh 12/14/2004 8:56:44 PM) |
| "So what is the chance of the tether colliding with some other object and causing more junk, after all your space craft now has a 5 Km tail?" (Stan Clark 5/23/2005 4:48:05 AM) |
| "Can this same technology be used to tweak the plane of an orbit, by deploying the line at right angles to the direction of travel?" (David Atwater 5/23/2005 3:41:14 PM) |
| "I'm a space nut, been interested since i could read. I learned many things from this story. THANKS" (bob wysong sr 5/28/2005 12:20:07 PM) |
| "it's so gross how all this junk is orbiting around Earth!" (kale 5/20/2006 10:58:51 AM) |
| "whoever mentioned the shroud having to be removed should have looked closer, it appears to just be the housing, since it is open at one end, i guess they called it a shroud" ( 6/21/2006 12:55:05 AM) |
| "Why not store in hole of shuttle on return trip" (Roger Newell 9/8/2006 12:32:44 PM) |
Get more information on Terminator Tether - EDT Solution To Space Debris Update
Leave a comment:
Tediously, spammers have returned; if you have a comment, send it to bill at this site (include the story name) and I'll post it.
More Articles
Mechazilla Arms Catch A Falling Starship, But Check Out SF Landing-ARMS
'...the rocket’s landing-arms automatically unfolded.'
A System To Defeat AI Face Recognition
'...points and patches of light... sliding all over their faces in a programmed manner that had been designed to foil facial recognition systems.'
Robot Hand Separate From Robot
'The crawling, exploring object was V-Stephen's surgeon-hand...'
Hybrid Wind Solar Devices
'...the combined Wind-Suncatcher, like a spray of tulips mounted fanwise.'
Is Optimus Autonomous Or Teleoperated?
'I went to the control room where the three other men were manipulating their mechanical men.'
Robot Masseuse Rubs People The Right Way
'The automatic massager began to fumble gently...'
Solar-Powered Space Trains On The Moon
'The low-slung monorail car, straddling its single track, bored through the shadows on a slowly rising course.'
Drone Deliveries Instead Of Waiters In Restaurants?
'It was a smooth ovoid floating a few inches from the floor...'
Optimus Robot Can Charge Itself
'... he thrust in his charging arm to replenish his store of energy.'
Skip Movewear Arc'teryx AI Pants
'...the terrible Jovian gravity that made each movement an effort.'
'Robovan' Name Already Taken - Elon, Try These
There are alternative names that are probably in the public domain by now.
How Old Are Tesla Designs?
You be the judge.
Is Your Autonomous Tractor Safe?
'The field-minder finished turning the top-soil of a two-thousand-acre field.'
Smart TVs Are Listening!
'You had to live -- did live, from habit that became instinct -- in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard...'
Police Drones In China Would Like To Have A Word With You
''OVERRIDE,' the City Fathers said suddenly, without being asked anything at all.'
Oh Great (Part 2), Fence-Climbing Robots
Please, no stingers.
Are The Thought Police Listening To Everyone All The Time?
'... they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to.'
Finally, Robot Conductors On Autonomous Buses
'Wardour Street,' he told the robot-conductor.'
RoboShiko! Sumo Exercises Still Good For Robots
'... the expressionless face before me was therefore that of the golem-wrestler, Rolem, a creature that could be set for five times the strength of a human being.'
Giant Robotic Hands At Gundam Next Future Science
'Waldo put his arms into the primary pair before him; all three pairs, including the secondary pair mounted before the machine, came to life.'
