THE news that a piece of space junk collided with the robotic arm on the International Space Station, is an alarming reminder that what’s called “low Earth orbit” is becoming a crowded place. More and more stuff is out there, travelling at alarming speeds. The number of tiny satellites being sent up for broadband services is rapidly rising. All of this raises questions and a call for “responsible space behaviour”.

Should we be worried?

Many experts are saying so, among them Regius Professor of Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh, Andy Lawrence, who recently published Losing The Sky and takes part in a June 15 online event, organised by the Edinburgh Astronomical Society. Lawrence professes a love of astronomy, space exploration and the internet. “Until 2020,” he writes, “I assumed that these three loves do not clash…. It now seems that was just a Moon Age Daydream. A new generation of satellite megaconstellations is on its way, aimed at producing ubiquitous global high-speed internet connection. All very exciting – but these objects pollute the night sky, streak across our astronomical images, blare loudly and unpredictably at our radio telescopes, and increase the danger of spacecraft collisions.”

Read more at: https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/19347142.space-junk-next-waste-crisis-needs-solved/?ref=twtrec

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Space can be a harsh and unforgiving environment for the robots and humans that explore it: the hazards are many, from massive temperature swings to radiation and orbital debris.

Over 23,000 objects the size of a softball or larger are tracked 24/7 to detect potential collisions with satellites and the International Space Station (ISS). A number of tiny objects—ranging from rock or dust particles to flecks of paint from satellites—are also too small to be monitored.

The threat of collisions is taken very seriously. NASA has a long-standing set of guidelines to ensure the safety of Station crew. The safety of astronauts on board the orbiting laboratory remains the top priority of all Station partners.

While the utmost precautions are taken to reduce the potential for collisions with the ISS, impacts with tiny objects do occur. One such hit was noticed recently during a routine inspection of Canadarm2 on May 12.

Experts from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and NASA worked together to take detailed images of the area and assess the impact, which occurred on one of Canadarm2’s boom segments.

Despite the impact, results of the ongoing analysis indicate that the arm’s performance remains unaffected. The damage is limited to a small section of the arm boom and thermal blanket. A hole approximately 5mm in diameter is visible.

Canadarm2 is continuing to conduct its planned operations, including hoisting Dextre into position to replace a faulty power switchbox (Remote Power Control Module).

NASA and the CSA will continue to gather data to conclude the analysis. Near-term robotics operations will continue as planned

https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/iss/news.asp#20210528

Space junk crashes into the International Space Station, causes damage

https://thehill.com/changing-america/resilience/smart-cities/556368-space-junk-crashed-into-the-international-space

Space junk damages International Space Station’s robotic arm

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/space-junk-damages-international-space-stations-robotic-arm-rcna1067

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Jun 1, 2021

TODAY

A piece of debris smacked into a robotic arm of the International Space Station, leaving a small hole, which operators noticed during a routine inspection last month. No one was injured and the arm is still functional, but the incident calls attention to the problems that the tens of thousands of pieces of space debris currently in orbit could cause. NBC’s Tom Costello reports from Washington, D.C.

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