According to a report released by the Congressional Research Service this month, even a small piece of debris can cause an in-orbit disaster. A simple example, a fragment 10 centimeters across can catastrophically damage a satellite.

Another example, a small fragment of 1 centimeter was able to disable the entire spacecraft. The worst-case scenario is Kessler syndrome, proposed by astrophysicist Donald Kessler in the 1970s. He warned that when there is too much debris in orbit, the debris collides with each other, resulting in an increasing number of them. One of the solutions to this problem was proposed by Japan, which began preparing for the launch of an electromagnetic trawl network to collect all the orbital junk. Next month, the Japanese space agency JAXA will pilot its “electrodynamic tether” for the first time. This is one of the many real-world solutions that have been proposed to solve the problem of space debris.

To build its own garbage trawl network, JAXA turned to Nitto Seimo, a company that specializes in the production of fishing gear. Unlike the network used in the ocean, this one is a 700-meter grid of aluminum and steel wires. The trawl is equipped with sensors that trigger when light is reflected from small debris fragments and automatically begins to attract it to itself. After the network has captured enough debris, a command is received from Earth about braking and de-orbiting. The garbage net enters the Earth's atmosphere and burns up. JAXA considers the main advantage of this idea to be its simplicity.

No rocket fuel is required to move. If the test launch goes well next month, it is planned to build a 10-kilometer version to capture satellites that have reached their end of life and are subject to destruction. Nevertheless, a test flight will help to detect some possible flaws in this scheme. One of the problems is that the network will operate very slowly, for several months or even a year, before it leaves orbit. Then there is a risk that the network will work on active satellites. Engineers are also concerned that the debris will resist gravity.

There is a possibility that the cable may detach under the impact of small objects of space debris or micrometeorites. Not everyone supports this project. Hugh Lewis, a space engineer at the University of Southampton, UK, believes that this project is not the best option for collecting space debris. On one issue, everyone agreed unanimously that it was necessary to start somewhere. 1xBet offers a wide range of sports, including football, basketball, tennis, and other less-known sports. Claim 1xBet welcome bonus, you only need to register an account with the betting site using the 1xbet bonus code to get free 100% welcome bonus up to 130$. Before you get too excited, keep in mind that the 1xBet bonus code cannot be combined with other promotions or bonuses. At 1xbet.com, bonus coupons are a terrific method to extract the most value from your gaming sessions.