• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Neil DeGrease Tyson Shares Picture Of Big Aluminum Block Hit By Space Junk.

Doodski

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Dec 9, 2019
Messages
20,752
Likes
20,771
Location
Canada
According to current estimates by NASA, there are over 27,000 pieces of space junk, big and small, floating in outer space and this number is expected to grow exponentially with the launch of more satellites in the future. Neil DeGrease Tyson revealed that the severely damaged block was hit by a plastic piece that weighed just 14 grams (~0.494 oz.)but was flying at a speed of 24,000 kilometres per hour (~14,914 mph.)
Screenshot 2022-06-18 181529.png
 

Blumlein 88

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 23, 2016
Messages
20,524
Likes
37,057
I kept looking at the picture and couldn't think of what in orbit would have such a big chunk of aluminum that size and thickness. Nor how they would know that 14 grams of plastic hit it. Then looking for more info I see it was from a simulation of such a collision. Wasn't anything in orbit.

Further the scale is off as the crater is only 5 inches deep. Here is another simulated impact with a ruler showing the size of lexan fired at it.

970px-SDIO_KEW_Lexan_projectile.jpg
 

Ra1zel

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Jul 6, 2021
Messages
531
Likes
1,048
Location
Poland
Makes you think about feasibility of relativistic space travel, you hit a speck of dust and it's a nuclear bomb level energy
 

Bleib

Major Contributor
Joined
May 13, 2021
Messages
1,254
Likes
2,252
Location
Sweden
Humans are amazing, we even litter space
 
Top Bottom