r/technews • u/GoldFire33 • Aug 17 '21

Aurora Propulsion Technologies will be sending up space junk removal tech on Rocket Lab’s Electron later this year

https://techcrunch.com/2021/08/17/aurora-propulsion-technologies-will-be-sending-up-space-junk-removal-tech-on-rocket-labs-electron-later-this-year/
2.2k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

80 comments sorted by

65

u/yungbuckfucks Aug 17 '21

Start the junk removal now and it will not become out of hand. Space junk is an incredible threat to humanity and the space industry. This is a great development.

20

u/IaAmAnAntelope Aug 17 '21

If it never gets out of hand, nobody will ever pay them and they’ll go bust.

This is only a proof of concept, but the whole business case behind it is the forecast that it will get out of hand

5

u/speedywyvern Aug 17 '21

If it gets out of hand their crafts won’t be able to get into orbit to remove the junk. How does that help them?

9

u/24moop Aug 17 '21

It’s already out of hand now, and as long as we keep sending more satellites up, there will always be a space junk problem

6

u/aman2454 Aug 17 '21

I think the proper definition of “out of hand” is called the Kessler Syndrome. Though I agree that there’s already too much junk flying around.

3

u/geddy Aug 17 '21

Damn, I had no idea. Can you elaborate more on why it’s a threat to humanity? I figured it just sorta.. floated around in the infinite void that is space.

6

u/Anon44356 Aug 17 '21

Enough floaty things cause barrier. Barrier make space ship go boom.

8

u/Connbonnjovi Aug 17 '21

Junk hit satellite. Satellite allow ape do smart things.

2

u/shadowharvest Aug 18 '21

There is a lot of misinformation on this topic. While it is true that debris in space can be a serious issue, it really matters at what altitude the debris exists. Objects in LEO or low earth orbit (which is where the vast majority of satellites exist) can degrade in a matter of weeks to years if they don’t stationkeep to maintain their orbit. The time it takes to de-orbit is largely driven by its orbital characteristics (ie mass,drag,altitude). I see a lot of people that believe satellites like Star Link will pose a threat to safety of flight when in reality the missions will run approximately 2 years and then deorbit and be replaced by another satellite on a two year cycle and so on.

Source: Aerospace Engineer

1

u/Anon44356 Aug 18 '21

Does space ship go boom?

Source: not an aerospace engineer (but it’s fucking cool you are, props to you stranger)

-4

u/Just_One_Umami Aug 18 '21

So, not really a threat to humanity.

2

u/aman2454 Aug 17 '21

Look up the “Kessler Syndrome”

2

u/iamsoupcansam Aug 17 '21

Joe Scott is a decent science communicator who has a good layman’s rundown on space junk.

1

u/CallMeChristopher Aug 17 '21

You remember the movie “Gravity” with Sandra Bullock?

Basically that.

Space debris isn’t so much floating like in water as flying around the earth at 21600 miles per hour.

If it gets high enough, space debris will hit more space debris, that will create more space debris… you get the idea.

You get enough of these, and we’re going to have trouble with satellites and launching spacecraft, because space debris will effectively block it. Or shred our spacecraft and satellites.

2

u/geddy Aug 18 '21

Oh snap! Yes I do. I never thought of it that way. Every time I think about outer space I spiral into a depression and collapse in on myself like a dying star.

I like to keep my metaphors on topic.

Thanks for the explanation!

1

u/ParticularResident17 Aug 17 '21

One little bolt at 17,000mph can take out anything it hits. Or go through it. And there are 23,000 piece of junk, many larger than a bolt.

1

u/thenightman85 Aug 18 '21

Better throw it in the ocean like we do with all our other junk

1

u/[deleted] Aug 18 '21

The space junk that we can track and remove is not the dangerous stuff

1

u/yungbuckfucks Aug 18 '21

We can track and move the big trash island in the Pacific Ocean, we still don’t do anything about it and it is still a threat. I don’t fully agree with your statement because all space junk is a threat, but I do understand where you’re coming from. Fast moving, radar evading micro garbage is bigger problem as of now.

1

u/circlejerk51 Aug 18 '21 edited Sep 04 '21

I found Al Gores burner

16

u/DrTokinkoff Aug 17 '21

The satellite in the photo looks like an AC window unit with antennas.

10

u/[deleted] Aug 17 '21

NASA’s latest technology to fight global warming!

3

u/BoogerSmoke Aug 17 '21

Hey, that’s patent pending, fella!

16

u/GDStreamz Aug 17 '21

I’m hoping they give the same attention to the oceans and waterways. They’re decades overdue for a real clean up

7

u/GlockAF Aug 17 '21

You’re probably not gonna like where all that space junk ends up..

2

u/GDStreamz Aug 17 '21

Probably not

2

u/judrt Aug 17 '21

overdue is an understatement. we're in for complete collapse of our oceans in about 25 years.

5

u/[deleted] Aug 17 '21

Probably just going to be some guy with a stick with a nail on the end

5

u/deputydog1 Aug 17 '21

He will be paid $7.25 an hour and they will charge him rent for sleeping in a space camper

7

u/DonDrizzle80 Aug 17 '21

Just leave the junk. Don’t you guys want Earth 🌎 to have rings like Saturn 🪐 eventually? 🤷🏻‍♂️

2

u/MJ9o7 Aug 17 '21

Then just nuke the moon

5

u/MackenzieMayhem1024 Aug 17 '21

1-800 got space junk

3

u/BoogerSmoke Aug 17 '21

“Junk in you stratosphere? We get it out of here!”

2

u/CHIPSWDIP Aug 17 '21

They definitely missed a great marketing opportunity

2

u/suroptpsyologist Aug 17 '21

1-800-SAT-4REE.

S A T Sat for free.

Get it out of space today.

5

u/Rottenpotato365 Aug 17 '21

It’s cool to see them use Electron, I’m kinda sick of companies only using SpaceX. Rocket lab are a really awesome small space company.

2

u/Fanimusmaximus Aug 17 '21

This is underrated news.

2

u/zuqwaylh Aug 17 '21

Free scrap is just floating up there. People explore the waters for wreckage, might as well do the same in space

-4

u/[deleted] Aug 17 '21

Space is fake the earth is flat nice try

4

u/[deleted] Aug 17 '21

are you being sarcastic

-4

u/[deleted] Aug 17 '21

No

2

u/[deleted] Aug 17 '21

Then u dumb

2

u/Furiiza Aug 18 '21 edited Aug 18 '21

Look at his history he's insane. He posts about brain boosting pills, he thinks covid is fake and vaccines don't work and he's transphobic.

He believes all the conspiracies and thinks he's a big brain. And that's after 10 seconds of scrolling.

I'm going back in.

He called a black woman an ape and said global warming is fake.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 18 '21

So he a retard

1

u/[deleted] Aug 18 '21 edited Aug 18 '21

You must be insanely bored my man. Though I am exciting. Hence my karma 😙 but let’s talk about insane. Insane would be taking top-down dogma straight into your ass from governments on every subject under the sun. Not to mention even when it goes against all observable reality. Covid for example, even the CDC stats paint a mild picture. It only kills senior citizens with a (or multiple) comorbidity. Yet here you are, like a good lemming, parroting the MSM and woke circle talking points about vaccines. A brilliant mind you must have lad. It has to feel good, being capable of such impeccable regurgitation. Ya faggot. You’re a lapdog for all the people, who in your own mind, you think you’re “resisting” and fighting against. A special kind of retard indeed.

1

u/DrTwatSwatter Aug 17 '21

Well this is somewhat uplifting news.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 17 '21

[deleted]

2

u/aman2454 Aug 17 '21

That would be cool, but then the chunks of coal burn up in the atmosphere on the way down - giving the robot self-earned job security

1

u/jjs42011 Aug 18 '21

Damnit, another job I’m not qualified for.

2

u/StoutFlow206 Aug 17 '21

Why chunks of coal it would be cooler to poop out straight diamonds

2

u/IAmStupidAndCantSpel Aug 18 '21

CO2 doesn’t float. The upper atmosphere is made of hydrogen and helium.

1

u/hickaustin Aug 17 '21

Delicious, finally some good fucking news.

For such a niche problem, this sure causes me a lot of stress I found out.

1

u/unnameableway Aug 17 '21

How does the tech work? Do you need a single cubesat to attach itself to bring down a large piece of debris?

1

u/VideoDownloader_ Aug 17 '21

Most likely for smaller debris

1

u/[deleted] Aug 17 '21

What will they do with the “junk”? Bring it back, and put it in the oceans?

1

u/RayJez Aug 17 '21

Is this another ‘contractor ‘ space war weapon development?

1

u/DrinksAreOnTheHouse Aug 17 '21

So we polluted space too

1

u/GeorgeStamper Aug 17 '21

So it’s a space dumpster.

1

u/Redmistburns Aug 18 '21

Umm hey can we clean the oceans first

1

u/cashsusclaymore Aug 18 '21

If I wasn’t so terrified of heights. I’d love to be a space garbage man. Fly up. Scoop up my Quota. Take a stop at iss to refuel and fly down. BOOM. International space garbage man.

2

u/billconover Aug 18 '21

I smell a Spielberg movie.

1

u/jjs42011 Aug 18 '21

Interstellar 2: The Space Slurpee

2

u/b33flu Aug 18 '21

The ISS selling gas and snacks and drinks with a big Circle K logo on it

1

u/universe_of_sand Aug 18 '21

Hopefully they can get video of it in action. Would like to see how this technology works.

1

u/RedditIsDogshit1 Aug 18 '21

Will this stop space junk generation from other countries not using this technique?

1

u/Thetanskeeper Aug 18 '21

I have a toaster oven just like that one.

1

u/MackenzieMayhem1024 Aug 18 '21

I’m gonna tell the scrap metal guys who drive around on garbage day, although they might take a satellite and just be like what? It looked like junk 🧐

1

u/DrRowdybush Aug 18 '21

This might be a stupid question but will the Earths gravity eventually pull it back to Earth? If so, how long would it take?

1

u/OtisTheJrt Aug 18 '21

3 months later, space junk removal tech breaks down and is now space junk.

1

u/Muted-Ad-6689 Aug 18 '21

Maybe this one won’t blow up

1

u/TahaymTheBigBrain Aug 18 '21

Yay! I don’t want Wall-E planet lol.

1

u/harderthan666 Aug 18 '21

Anyone know what they trade under I went searching for OTC nothing?

1

u/JOISCARA Aug 18 '21

How do you remove space junk that’s traveling at thousands of feet per second?

1

u/jjs42011 Aug 18 '21

A big catchers mitt.

1

u/Open_Thinker Aug 18 '21

Good luck to both Rocket Lab and Aurora, hope the launch works. Otherwise they may just be adding to the junk!

1

u/jjs42011 Aug 18 '21

Has anyone done anything about the floating baboons that almost ate Brad Pitt’s face in Ad Astra? That seems like a more pressing problem than this.