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Orbital Debris A Technical Assessment (1995) / Chapter Skim
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INTRODUCTION
Pages 11-16

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From page 11...
... Nonfunctional spacecraft, however, constitute only a small fraction of the debris orbiting the Earth. They share Earth orbit with spent rocket bodies; the lens caps, bolts, and other "mission-related debris" released into space during a spacecraft's deployment and operation; aluminum oxide particles from the exhaust of solid rocket motors; paint chips from space object surfaces; and the numerous fragmentary objects generated by the more than 120 spacecraft and rocket body breakups that have occurred in orbit.
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From page 12...
... Space Shuttle and the Salyut and Mir space stations) and marred the surfaces of spacecraft such as the Solar Maximum Mission spacecraft (Solar Max)
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From page 13...
... Concern about the orbital debris hazard has grown in the last decade. A number of events, including the breakup of several rocket upper stages and the replacement of Shuttle windows after impacts by small particles, helped to increase awareness of the problem, as did the need to factor space debris considerations into the design of Space Station Freedom.
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From page 14...
... This is not a simple problem, and it will not have a simple solution. A responsible approach to orbital debris will require · continuing measurement and modeling efforts to increase our knowledge of the current and future debris population; · the development of tools to aid spacecraft designers in protecting their spacecraft appropriately against the existing debris hazard; and · widespread implementation of appropriate measures to minimize the creation of additional debris.
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From page 15...
... Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
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Key Terms

  • space debris
  • debris population
  • earth orbit
  • debris hazard
  • space station

  • spacecraft designers
  • future debris
  • functional spacecraft
  • collision hazard
  • position paper

  • collected data
  • objects orbiting
  • debris study
  • oxide particles
  • object surfaces

  • surface coatings
  • numerous debris
  • exposure facility
  • occurring meteoroids
  • increase awareness

  • solar maximum
  • rocket upper
  • space object
  • jsass space
  • degrade surface

  • damage optics
  • data suggested
  • upper stages
  • continuing measurement
  • european retrievable


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