http://www.livescience.com/blogs/2006/07/28/space-station-litter-policy/
Space Station Litter Policy Author Leonard David Remember that tossing out the airlock from the International Space Station (ISS) of a Russian space suit? Also, there was that idea of hitting a golf ball from the space station - a decision that was blocked. Now there's a new "jettison policy" for the ISS, according to Nicholas Johnson, Program Manager and Chief Scientist of the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. In the July issue of NASA's Orbital Debris Quarterly News, Johnson reports that during more than seven years of operations by the ISS, approximately three dozen pieces of debris were released and subsequently cataloged by the U.S. Space Surveillance Network (SSN). The individual mass of these objects ranged from less than 2 pounds to some 155 pounds (1 kilogram to 70 kilograms). Although some of these debris were separated from the ISS accidentally, some were intentionally cast-off, especially the larger items. Recently an official ISS Jettison Policy was developed to ensure that decisions to deliberately release objects in the future were based upon a complete evaluation of the benefits and risks to the ISS, other resident space objects, and people on the Earth. Johnson says the policy identifies four categories of items which might be considered for release: (1) items that pose a safety issue for return on-board a visiting vehicle, (2) items that negatively impact ISS utilization, return, or on-orbit stowage manifests, (3) items that represent a space walk timeline savings, and (4) items that are designed for jettison. Some of the principal issues to be addressed during this evaluation process, Johnson adds, are the potential for the object to recontact the ISS within the first two days after jettison; the potential of the object to breakup prior to reentry; the ability of the SSN to track the object; and the risk to people on Earth from components which might survive reentry. Gregory S. Williams [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply with a "Thank you" if you liked this post. _____________________________ MEDIANEWS mailing list medianews@twiar.org To unsubscribe send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
