2023-08-27 18:02:36
We are in the middle of August in Melbourne, a summer night like any other in this Australian city. Suddenly, around midnight on August 8, 2023, a strange ball of fire shoots out of the darkness. The luminous trail pierces the sky; crosses it like a shooting star. She hypnotizes the eyes. Some immortalize it with their mobile phone. Later, the Australian Space Agency will confirm that it is the debris of a rocket sent on August 7 by the Russian agency Roscosmos. Debris among many others. To date, there are a million measuring more than a centimeter above our heads according to the European Space Agency; and among them, 36,000 even measure more than 10 centimeters. They can be abandoned satellites, fragments caused by explosions or even pieces of rockets.
Can space debris fall on our heads?
Potentially, yes. Most of these non-functional objects burn up when they fall back into the atmosphere, with temperatures of up to 1,600 degrees. “About 20% of the mass of objects survive re-entry, generating the risk of killing someone” nuance Christophe Bonnal, expert in space debris at the National Center for Space Studies (CNES). According to him, a very large object returns approximately every three days to Earth.
Beyond this threat, the danger also exists above our heads with a risk of collision in orbit. “A 10 centimeter object kills a satellite, which regenerates a thousand new pieces of debris,” continues Christophe Bonnal. So a vicious circle.
But then how to clean up space?
At a time when 7,000 satellites are currently in orbit, with the promise of launching 24,500 more over the next decade according to an estimate by Euroconsult, these figures raise questions regarding the risk of collisions. “It is urgent to have actions at the international level to try to stop polluting. Since 1990, we have been saying that there is an emergency. Unfortunately, international regulations are very poorly applied. explains the CNES expert. Among the five international rules to be respected, we can, for example, cite the ban on carrying out anti-satellite tests or the obligation to change the trajectory of a satellite when a threat arises.
Another necessity, you will have to roll up your sleeves to clean up the space. According to Christophe Bonnal, a dozen pieces of large debris should be captured each year. “There are many techniques such as nets, harpoons or even robotic arms” At the moment, the start-up Clearspace under contract with the European Space Agency is, for example, developing pliers to remove debris. This space cleaning mission will be launched in 2026, a first.
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