Are We Too Late To Avoid Kessler Syndrome?

Space junk and debris is starting to be a problem around Low Earth Orbit (LEO) according to the ESA and JAXA. Exactly how much is up there? And are we soon approaching the threshold of Kessler Syndrome?

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Image Credits:
ESA
Warner Bros. Gravity (2013)

Music Credits:
Andrew Odd - Leaving

[sizanogreen]

Yes, I think "only mildly concerned for potential catastophy" describes our general short sighted recklessness pretty good.

[zaneyates]

"If you think safety is expensive, try an accident"

-not sure who said this

[jeffryblackmon]

Yes, I agree. Make the owners of satellites responsible for removing them from space.

[BlueZeroZeroOne]

Humans : "Wonder why aliens haven't officially visited us yet."
Aliens : "Wait, there is a planet under all that garbage?."

[SacredDaturaa]

There's an anime with this premise called "Planetes", that follows a crew of blue-collar astronauts who clean up space trash. It's pretty good.

[DarrickColeman]

Maybe a better solution is "if you want to put something in space, you have to first take something out (or pay someone to do so)"

[ourJ]

You can really tell that the YouTube compression was having a tough time at 0:43

[danimal]

This is like someone throwing trash on the ground and when asked to pick it up, they say pay me to pick it up or else its not my problem.

[maccrazyg]

Instead of a Dyson sphere we need a giant Dyson vacuum in earths orbit lol

[amoghskulkarni]

Clearly we haven't understood the gravity of the situation




I'll see myself out

[thzzzt]

It's so good to hear we've started on our own Dyson sphere! We forgot one detail though: The debris is supposed to be orbiting the Sun, not the Earth.

[infrared]

29 000 objects bigger than 10 cm
Youtube compression algorithm: *Nervous laugh*
700 000 objects bigger than one cm
Youtube compression algorithm: *Visible pain convulsions*
And an estimated 2 hundred mi-
Youtube compression algorithm: *blood gurgling screaming*
Blurry Earth in the video: distant Keemstar screaming

[Wesley_H]

“There isn’t much money to be made yet for cleaning up after ourselves.”

How ‘bout fines for not cleaning up?

[lforlight]

The book Exo in the Jumper series does something neat about this. Set in a completely ordinary world, there is basically one family that has by inexplicable reason achieved the ability to teleport. They imagine being in a place, and they find themselves there. In Exo, the fourth book of the series, one of them decides to use this ability to make some money and she gets small satellites up to space for cheap. Being a good hearted person, she also promises to remove space debris of the same mass as each satellite she puts up there.

[shoemakerx]

2:33 "like this 7mm chip on the window"
My grandpa: If you put a piece of clear scotch tape over that it won't crack

[rkNomads]

"recycling" or otherwise proper disposal should be built into production cost. Maybe something like a some terrestrial programs?

[plexus]

Seeing that big chip in the window of the ISS while I was in it would be scary as hell.

[eclipselunaire]

There may be a need for an independant international space sweeping organisation in the future. They could be paid like Earthbound councils and emloyees via a special international taxes.
It may be necessary, a special organisation devoted to cleaning up space junk.

[endersblade]

"not enough money to be made" the downfall of humanity, in a nutshell.

[dcanaday]

I'd like to see all future satellites be designed to de-orbit themselves when they are no longer useful. Perhaps having just enough fuel to perform that final task. Or solar sails that could spread and use light pressure to force themselves back to Earth. Seems a lot cheaper than sending up spacecraft to intercept, take control of, and de-orbit used up satellites.