NASA: Toss Space Junk Out The Door | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

 Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-05.06.24

Airborne-NextGen-05.07.24

 Airborne-Unlimited-05.08.24 Airborne-FlightTraining-05.09.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.10.24

Tue, Nov 21, 2006

NASA: Toss Space Junk Out The Door

Sometimes, Littering IS The Way To Go

This seems an odd reversal of NASA policy... after years of debate over how to best dispose of unwanted detrius from the International Space Station, the agency has come up with the answer: open the door and throw it out.

If that sounds like a somewhat... inelegant... solution to the problem, you're right. That's why NASA says it only endorses the practice in certain cases.

For example, the agency will now recommend astronauts onboard the ISS toss out ammonia tanks when they've run dry, as they can't be safely brought back to Earth.

"We are only going to be doing it in rare cases under very strict conditions, and doing it because of the safety of the crew and the station," Nicholas Johnson, chief scientist for NASA's orbital debris program, told the London Daily Telegraph.

The hope is the debris will later burn up in the Earth's atmosphere... and not stay in orbit with other assorted debris and "space junk," where it could pose a danger to the station and other spacecraft.

Hmm... would it help if astronauts tossed their garbage towards the planet?

FMI: www.nasa.gov

Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.10.24): Takeoff Roll

Takeoff Roll The process whereby an aircraft is aligned with the runway centerline and the aircraft is moving with the intent to take off. For helicopters, this pertains to the act>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (05.10.24)

“We’re proud of the hard work that went into receiving this validation, and it will be a welcome relief to our customers in the European Union. We couldn’t be mor>[...]

Airborne 05.06.24: Gone West-Dick Rutan, ICON BK Update, SpaceX EVA Suit

Also: 1800th E-Jet, Uncle Sam Sues For Landing Gear, Embraer Ag Plane, Textron Parts A friend of the family reported that Lt. Col. (Ret.) Richard Glenn Rutan flew west on Friday, M>[...]

Airborne 05.03.24: Advanced Powerplant Solutions, PRA Runway Woes, Drone Racing

Also: Virgin Galactic, B-29 Doc to Allentown, Erickson Fire-Fighters Bought, FAA Reauthorization After dealing with a big letdown after the unexpected decision by Skyreach to disco>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (05.11.24)

"Aircraft Spruce is pleased to announce the acquisition of the parts distribution operations of Wag-Aero. Wag-Aero was founded in the 1960’s by Dick and Bobbie Wagner in the >[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Change Display

Headlines Only | Headlines w/ Teasers | View Everything

Advertisement

Top Videos

Airborne 05.10.24: Icon Auction, Drunk MedEvac Pilot, Bell ALFA

Airborne-Flight Training 05.09.24: ERAU at AIAA, LIFT Diamond Buy, Epic A&P

Airborne 05.08.24: Denali Update, Dad-Daughter Gyro, Lake SAIB

See All

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC