what Fark time is it? 1 or 2

Going vertical!

Chances of space trash showing up on Ebay next week?

cool

Chances of space trash showing upon Ebay next week?

Everything is farking up with daylight savings time!

That's very unpleasant imagery.

Now where did I place that spaced out pic of Leif Garret on TSG's World's Dumbest?????? THAT is a classy spaced out look.

/got nuthin

NewportBarGuy: "It's a space peanut!"

Dude, you were eating off of it!

I'm sure someone of impeccable has already thought this through, but can someone explain to me why isn't it a good idea to just strap all this junk together and leave it in orbit for later reclamation?

Any object in orbit is enormously valuable, just by virtue of it being mass in orbit, whether it's human waste or made of refined metals. A future mission might make use of these discarded objects as raw material to manufacture simple objects or supplies in situ, rather than having to launch them from Earth. There has to be a huge cost savings possible there.

Unless you can guarantee that launch-to-orbit costs are going to drop by a couple of orders of magnitude within a generation or two, or show that this storage shed in space (I'm just imagining a big kevlar tent) is a navigation disaster waiting to happen, it is ridiculously wasteful to throw this stuff away.

That's very unpleasant imagery

"It's a space peanut!"

What are the odds one of us will be in the wrong place at the wrong time ?

What... the...?

"If anybody found a piece of anything on the ground Monday morning, I would hope they wouldn't get too close to it," Suffredini said."

What's the worse that could happen?

But still, it is a large object and pieces will enter and we just need to be cautious.

As in what, carry an umbrella? Keep looking up and jump out of the way?

Procedural Texture: I'm sure someone of impeccable has already thought this through, but can someone explain to me why isn't it a good idea to just strap all this junk together and leave it in orbit for later reclamation?

Any object in orbit is enormously valuable, just by virtue of it being mass in orbit, whether it's human waste or made of refined metals. A future mission might make use of these discarded objects as raw material to manufacture simple objects or supplies in situ, rather than having to launch them from Earth. There has to be a huge cost savings possible there.

Unless you can guarantee that launch-to-orbit costs are going to drop by a couple of orders of magnitude within a generation or two, or show that this storage shed in space (I'm just imagining a big kevlar tent) is a navigation disaster waiting to happen, it is ridiculously wasteful to throw this stuff away.

Because it won't stay in orbit. So then you have the problem of regularly needing to boost the heap o'junk out into space again so it doesn't crash and burn. Lots of trouble for something you might need later.

The ISS also needs boosting every now and then to keep orbit.

Am I the only one seems to be concerned with the whole TOXIC ammonia thing?

Probably the best reason not to leave junk floating in space is so that something like this tank doesn't hit a 300 million dollar satellite.

Come on let's go Space Truckin'


I'm embarrassed that I know this.

Dumle: Because it won't stay in orbit.

Brockway: because few items have the same orbit.

Procedural Texture: I'm just imagining a big kevlar tent

Because your tent won't ever be big and strong enough to shield your ball of rubbish from incoming material; in other words, you'd be playing a constant game of large, premium grade, high-velocity billiard. The Chinese did it once, on purpose.

If they say they aren't sure where it's going to land it means North America. When it's going to land in Asia or elsewhere they always say so.

The only thing that pulls its weight around here is my goddamn truck...

Wanebo: Chances of space trash showing up on Ebay next week?

Maybe. I know if it hits anywhere near Cali it'll show up in some homeless guy's cart until he makes it to the recycling station. "Toxic" around here just means you shouldn't lick it. Selling it to some unsuspecting slob for beer money is totally kosher, tho.

Figures

Why don't they just shoot it down like they did that spy sat?
Hell, they've got practice now...

dcigary: Why don't they just shoot it down like they did that spy sat?
Hell, they've got practice now...

Probably because they don't need to: they're certain it won't do any harm.

Estimate of reentry and ground track plot here (shift-click pops).

We had a lot of luck on Venus
We always had a ball on Mars

They don't shoot it down because those operations cost 40-60 million dollars. Came across that when I was lookin up the cost of a satellite.

Furreals? Cause I was about to Go get an all you can eat brunch. (new window and all you can eat waffles)

the_be_sharps: NewportBarGuy: "It's a space peanut!"

Dude, you were eating off of it!

not again!

helsdottir: if it hits anywhere near Cali

Latest predictions put it down close to Bucharest, Romania, around 21.00PM GMT, but it could be a day earlier or a day later; for all we now, it may have already plunged into the Black Sea.

<b><a target="_blank" href="http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=3989124&IDComment=45924 631#c45924631">Procedural Texture</a>:</b> <i>I'm sure someone of impeccable has already thought this through, but can someone explain to me why isn't it a good idea to just strap all this junk together and leave it in orbit for later reclamation?

Any object in orbit is enormously valuable, just by virtue of it being mass in orbit, whether it's human waste or made of refined metals. A future mission might make use of these discarded objects as raw material to manufacture simple objects or supplies in situ, rather than having to launch them from Earth. There has to be a huge cost savings possible there.

Unless you can guarantee that launch-to-orbit costs are going to drop by a couple of orders of magnitude within a generation or two, or show that this storage shed in space (I'm just imagining a big kevlar tent) is a navigation disaster waiting to happen, it is ridiculously wasteful to throw this stuff away.</i>


Way-ull....quite simplest, cuz it wouldn't stay there.

The ISS is in 'Low Earth Orbit' (& you thought LEO just stood for cops, din'cha? <G>) ... and in fact has to be boosted from time to time. LEO means it's constantly skipping along in the upper atmospheric range, inducing drag....slows....gravity.....ugly equation....et al. Have a look here & you'll see what I mean. (Hopefully)
http://www.heavens-above.com/IssHeight.aspx

Clear Skies!
~S*H

This has got a very low likelihood that anybody will be impacted by it.

In more ways than one.

Oops....
Sorry 'bout the crappy job o' wrong button clickin'.
& I now see someone had already answered....so............doub-oops.


Hand Banana: But still, it is a large object and pieces will enter and we just need to be cautious.

As in what, carry an umbrella? Keep looking up and jump out of the way?

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Tell ya what. If it hits you, I'll personally apologize.
Howzat .. work for you?

Clear Skies!
~S*H

Malachilenomade: Am I the only one seems to be concerned with the whole TOXIC ammonia thing?

Yes.

Ammonia is flammable, and at the temperatures this thing's going to hit as it falls through the atmosphere, the ammonia will be the first thing to burn up.

BearToy: What are the odds one of us will be in the wrong place at the wrong time ?

Sounds like a perfectly good reason to play it safe and not to go work tomorrow.

Ten bucks it hits and further breaks the LHC just to be a jerk.

Dirtball: www.futurehi.net

LOL WUT?

UFOs are big rigs that come from outer space

hey dirtball, what the hell is that thing?

the exact location where the refrigerator-sized tank will land remains unknown

So, it Maytag someone on the head.

As a precautionary measure, I'm putting a Taco Bell target on my roof.

Malachilenomade: Am I the only one seems to be concerned with the whole TOXIC ammonia thing?

This article is really making my keraunothnetophobia act up.