Satellite Service Stations Could Minimize Space Junk
Posted By Ariel Schwartz On July 20, 2010 @ 2:06 pm In green technology | 3 Comments
[4]Image by the European Space Agency [5]
We’ve done a bang-up job of polluting both Earth and outer space [6] in the past few decades. Space junk, at least, could be reduced significantly if satellites didn’t die out so quickly. Enter MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates [7] (MDA), a Canadian company that wants to build a space-bound satellite [8] fueling and service station.
[9]
Here’s how the station would work: after being launched in space, it would dock to existing satellites [10] (note: satellites travel at 7,000 miles per hour), fix them up, and fill them [11] with hydrazine. The process could potentially double or triple the lifespan of satellites if all the onboard equipment remains intact.
MDA hopes to have a prototype ready in 2013 — just in time to help out the 136 satellites [12] scheduled for decommissioning between 2012 and 2020.
Via Popular Science [13]
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[4] Image: http://inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2010/07/spacejunk-ed01.jpg
[5] European Space Agency: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ESOC/SEMN2VM5NDF_mg_1.html
[6] space: http://www.google.com/url?q=http://inhabitat.com/2010/04/26/futuristic-space-station-made-from-reclaimed-doors/&sa=X&ei=z79FTJeXCI6-sQOZ28HhAg&ved=0CBYQzgQoATAA&usg=AFQjCNG6Ec-ewV6kCPds9DXK2ZV1GaTQAA
[7] MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates: http://www.mdacorporation.com/
[8] satellite: http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/03/04/nasa-to-launch-new-weather-satellite-in-space/&sa=X&ei=379FTPD0JoSCsQOWuZ3OAg&ved=0CBsQzgQoADAA&usg=AFQjCNE9FfcUj1gTmOVgO-WtX9QEXLVydQ
[9] Image: http://inhabitat.com/2010/07/20/satellite-service-stations-could-minimize-space-junk/satellite/
[10] satellites: http://www.google.com/url?q=http://inhabitat.com/2010/05/05/tiny-proba-v-satellite-will-track-global-vegetation-levels/&sa=X&ei=379FTPD0JoSCsQOWuZ3OAg&ved=0CBwQzgQoATAA&usg=AFQjCNGOsNf-EP6SB6ppyhP7rrSihhfcow
[11] fill them: http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/11/10/solar-sailing-satellite-to-thumb-a-ride-from-the-sun-in-2010/
[12] satellites: http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/11/02/satellite-makes-near-real-time-predictions-of-floods-and-droughts/
[13] Popular Science: http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-07/fill-er-canadian-company-wants-build-satellite-service-station-space
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