

Grave-robbing DARPA satellite to form new orbiters from dead equipment - mrsebastian
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/101125-frankensteinian-grave-robbing-satellite-to-form-new-orbiters-from-dead-equipment

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rdtsc
How does satellite tracking work? Does a country like Russia or US track every
single one of its satellite and each others' satellites?

Imagine if Russia or China just launched a satellite that showed the
capability to grab and take apart & examine American satellites while in
orbit.

They can clearly destroy them but having the ability to examine them would be
a bit of a game-changer, since it is assumed satellite with latest super-
secret techs are safe after the launch?

Do some fancy satellites have proximity sensors and self-destruct
mechanisms...?

I know Russians have built one of their manned spy sats ( Almaz?) with an
anti-aircraft gun designed to be used if American satellites would approach
it.

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nobody31415
>Do some fancy satellites have proximity sensors and self-destruct mechanisms.

If the opposition had just spent $XXXBn on a reusable space shuttle to
retrieve satellites and you were a paranoid cold war enemy wouldn't you?

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rdtsc
Would. Except for the ones I already launched...

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keithpeter
I think this sounds like a lot of fun if it works. Might provide consultancy
jobs for elderly space scientists as well - they would remember what was
really in the circuits, and all about those quick undocumented fixes to the
software....

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ortusdux
I have always thought that ground based lasers were the best solution to the
kessler syndrome. I wonder if the benefits of this system would make it more
cost-effective.

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hugh3
What would you do with the lasers? Heat 'em evenly so that they vapourise
smoothly instead of falling apart and forming lots of little bits?

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andrewflnr
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_broom>

In short, you use it to heat one side if the debris, causing it to ablate,
resulting in thrust that knocks it out of orbit.

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billswift
Since satellites aren't designed with that sort of ablation effect in mind, I
think hugh3's point that it would fall apart as various connecting bits burned
through early would be much more likely.

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andrewflnr
The article states that it's designed to be used for bits from 1 to 10 cm,
which mostly means stuff that has already fallen apart.

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mariuolo
It sounds all very intriguing from a technical point of view, but how much
less would it cost than putting up a whole new satellite into orbit?

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billswift
The most expensive part of the whole process is getting stuff into orbit. The
main reason satellites have to be super-reliable is that even getting such
levels of reliability is cheaper than sending up a replacement.

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nobody31415
So apart from the tricky business of grabbing a bit of space junk going past
you at Mach33 and changing it's delta-V so you can grab it and attach it to
your satelite.

And the tricky business of dismantling a satelite and somehow re-wiring a dead
1970s TV broadcast sat into being a new earth resources bird.

It's then going to presumably reach down into the Silicon lattice structure of
the panels and remove all the defects that 10years in space has introduced.

\- You know all those secret DARPA/CIA projects on mind control drugs in the
60s the conspiracy nuts talk about? I think we have found their stockpile -
and I suspect they might have a leak!

~~~
hugh3
_So apart from the tricky business of grabbing a bit of space junk going past
you at Mach33 and changing it's delta-V so you can grab it and attach it to
your satelite_

It'll be in (essentially) the same orbit, so it'll be drifting past the other
satellites nice and slowly.

 _And the tricky business of dismantling a satelite and somehow re-wiring a
dead 1970s TV broadcast sat into being a new earth resources bird_

This is tricky. But mostly they just seem to be salvaging the dish antennas,
which should be pretty interchangeable.

 _It's then going to presumably reach down into the Silicon lattice structure
of the panels and remove all the defects that 10years in space has
introduced._

They don't seem to be salvaging solar panels.

~~~
eric-hu
_It'll be in (essentially) the same orbit, so it'll be drifting past the other
satellites nice and slowly._

What are the range of velocities of objects in graveyard orbit? I wasn't able
to find these numbers directly on a quick google search

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veehan
The orbit you are in is directly dependent on your velocity. So if your orbit
is similar to another objects, you'll be going at a similar velocity as well.

Put another way, if you are in the same orbit as another object, your velocity
must be the same.

This illustrates itself in space docking procedures. If two objects are in the
same orbit, one thrusting towards another in the direction of the orbit puts
the first at a higher orbit and it'll rise with respect to second object. The
converse holds true; thrust against the orbit and you'll fall with respect to
the other object.

Thus, to dock, you have both crafts at slightly different orbits and the lower
orbit will slowly gain on the higher orbit. In this way, one can control how
fast the approach is. This will be how the satellite approaches debris most
likely.

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ThaddeusQuay2
Andy Griffith, with a little help from Isaac Asimov, has already solved this
problem.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvage_1>

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foannfeai
I smell a disaster in the making. What if it goes into the wrong orbit? It
could cut into the ISS! Also, wouldn't a giant magnet make more sense?

