Space junk orbiting Earth and flying at 18,000mph could pose a real threat to those living on the planet below, a space physics expert has warned.
Dr Ian Whittaker from Nottingham Trent University He told Reach that although the probability of being hit by a piece of debris falling through the atmosphere is relatively low, an impact could cause significant, and potentially fatal, damage.
His warning comes weeks after a space ring – allegedly from an Ariane rocket launched in 2008 – fell on the Kenyan village of Mukoko. The collision, which sent shock waves through the local area, raised questions about the dangers of space junk orbiting Earth.
Speaking exclusively to Reach on the subject, Dr Whittaker warned of the potential and literal impact of more objects falling from space while urging companies such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX to take action.
He said: “Although the probability of being hit by a falling piece of space debris is currently very low, with over 36,000 objects (and counting) larger than a phone in orbit, the odds will increase over the coming years.
“The potential for damage to life and property is great, and any falling object that does not disintegrate in the atmosphere will move quickly and the drag force will heat it to very high temperatures.
“Although it will be moving at about 8 km/s in orbit (18,000 mph), it will slow down significantly in the atmosphere where the debris will be heated but will still likely move around the 100 m/s mark (200+ mph Hour). For an object like the Ariane Ring, if it had fallen in a dense urban area it could easily have destroyed a building and potentially killed people.
He added: “The number of pieces of space debris has increased due to the significantly increased number of launches (SpaceX was responsible for a large number of these operations)… The risks can be mitigated, but it requires satellite and rocket manufacturers to take responsibility.” For what they have already launched and future launches.
Although the number of large objects that have survived the journey through the atmosphere is small compared to the pieces of debris in orbit, there is concern about more accidents.
What’s more, while the Ariane rocket’s ring is one of the largest to fall to Earth, Dr. Whittaker says these objects aren’t what we should be most worried about.
He explained: “Much more important are objects between 1cm and 10cm in size (i.e. between the width of a paper clip and the size of a phone). These usually arise from collisions and it is difficult to count the full number due to the sheer number of pieces, but it is estimated in the millions.
“These small pieces of metal can travel at speeds of about 8 km/s (~18,000 mph) and can easily penetrate satellite bodies, solar cell arrays, etc.”
Some of these objects have already begun falling to Earth in recent years. In the United States, a family from Florida requested compensation from NASA after space debris collided with their home last year. BBC reported.
Speaking to Wink-TV, Alejandro Otero said the piece of debris, later identified as part of a strut installed to mount the batteries on the charging pads, almost hit his son and caused his family emotional distress.
He added: “I was shaking.” I was in complete disbelief. What are the chances of something falling on my house with that much force to cause that much damage. “
