Destroying Space Waste With Lasers

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Russian physicist Egor Loktionov proposes an unusual way of getting rid of space waste. He wants to shoot old satellites with lasers.


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Image by PIRO4D from Pixabay

As you might read in the soon-to-be-published article in the journal Acta Astronautica, Loktionov researched how different materials used to construct devices in space react to laser pulses.

Image by PIRO4D from Pixabay

So far, we have proposed many different ways to catch any debris falling from the sky. But very few have been tested and none of them are being used in the real world. Using lasers to remove space waste should come cheaper and be more reliable and flexible in getting rid of space waste.

On top of being cheaper and easier, the plasma created from the waste could theoretically be used as fuel for probes, spaceships, satellites that would use laser-thrusters as if the lasers would be located in space then they would pose close to no danger to any terrestrial facilities and human life.

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3 comments
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I wouldn't call this unusual. It's a pretty popular solution. The problem is that no one wants anyone to have a giant space laser shooting things out of the sky.

Perhaps we'll end up doing a laser network that multiple countries have to sign off on for it to be aimed and used.

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The original part - IMO - comes in the fact that he wants to use the plasma for the propulsion of ships, I don't think I've ever seen that before.

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I can't imagine the plasma would be easy to collect. You could redirect it for collection somehow with electromagnetism, but I'm not sure how close you would have to be to collect it. Perhaps it would be possible to use multiple satellites to redirect the plasma for collection.

His solution also leaves the solar panels, which then need to be collected. Perhaps the laser could redirect them for collection while the plasma is being produced though.

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