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Paradox_Dolphin t1_j6kyrog wrote

Reply to comment by FanOfPeace in 2 big pieces of space junk nearly collide in orbital 'bad neighborhood' by jeffsmith202

There's a lot of research into fixing it.

My favorite solution is space lasers. Basically, have a system of lasers in space, even just a few watts for each laser, and target all the tiny pieces of space junk. Similar to how a comet gets a tail when the sun shines on it, a powerful laser would melt bits of the space junk, causing it to lose velocity, and drop out of orbit.

The reason why this hasn't been done, is because the problem isn't yet big enough for it to be done.

It's currently still very unlikely for a cascade like this to begin, but as we put more into space, the chances just keep getting higher.

I think it'll be like the climate crisis, we'll wait until we feel the effects, and then do something to change it while hoping it's not too late.

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smithsp86 t1_j6lbti6 wrote

Certainly the coolest solution. One note, objects wouldn't lose velocity by melting. They would lose it because of material ablating off because of the heat.

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Paradox_Dolphin t1_j6lh8k9 wrote

Thank you for the word "ablating." I had a mental image of this that I was trying to describe, but I couldn't find the exact words for it. So I tried explaining it like a comet, where it heats up and the has bits of it shoot off.

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AlpineCorbett t1_j6ltxzy wrote

If a problem can be fixed with a big ass laser, I assert that it is our duty, as humans, to do so. With vigor.

I can think of nothing more human.

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Paradox_Dolphin t1_j6lvynf wrote

Oh my God yeah, someone call the pentagon, we've gotta be able to sell it to them with this description.

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AlpineCorbett t1_j6lwe68 wrote

JFK 2.0 - "We choose to do this thing not because it is easy, but because it is supremely fucking cool"

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Paradox_Dolphin t1_j6lzvo8 wrote

The second time around, his initials stand for "Jesus Fucking Khrist"

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Vulch59 t1_j6miqzb wrote

Could call it something like Satellite Harm Amelioration and Reduction Campaign

^(Cannot think of a decent K so SHARC with frikkin lasers it is)

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