New research has revealed that the Earth is slowly developing rings around it. According to an investigation by The Tribune, the research is related to gathering space trash orbiting Earth’s atmosphere. Space trash, also known as space debris, is becoming more of an issue, with NASA claiming that the Department of Defense’s global Space Surveillance Network (SSN) sensors are tracking over 27,000 pieces of space garbage.
Abbott and his colleagues think they have discovered a technique to halt spinning items, move them about, and finally gather them by utilizing controlled force and torque.
NASA also stated that there is likely much more trash in orbit that is too tiny to be detected but large enough to pose a hazard to human and robotic flights. In addition, because space junk travels at such high speeds — 15,700 mph in low Earth orbit — even a little piece of orbital debris may collide with a spacecraft and cause significant damage.
The volume of space garbage is predicted to increase dramatically as the commercial space economy expands. According to The Verge, Elon Musk’s SpaceX has launched almost 900 orbital objects into space this year. Amazon also intends to launch over 3,000 satellite constellations into low-earth orbit to deliver internet broadband services.
The former Trump administration created a national orbital debris research and development strategy that recommended purposeful spaceship designs that restrict the formation of new space debris to eliminate space trash. It also proposed options for removing space trash, repurposing it for profitable use, and enhancing how the US tracks and analyses space junk.
It’s unclear whether the Trump administration’s report was implemented. Still, the problem of space debris persists, as does the possibility of Earth forming rings formed of space trash comparable to Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune. According to Forbes, some firms, such as Astroscale, are aiming to assist in addressing the issue of space trash. The Tokyo-based firm has started work on a prototype spaceship that will test debris-removal technologies in space.
Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus are the four planets in our solar system that have rings, with the second being the most stunning of them all. Saturn’s famous wide rings are formed of ice and rock that has become trapped in the planet’s orbit. The same may be said for the remainder, with different ice and cosmic dust compositions. Earth’s, however, is not one of them. Instead, ours are entirely human-made, resulting from the collisions of retired and damaged satellites, rockets, and other space-based objects. Researchers in Utah are working to find safe and cost-effective solutions to clean up our orbit. However, Abbott expressed reservations about potential ways for stopping space debris in its path.
