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From: kek@hoxna.UUCP ( K. E. Kepple)
Newsgroups: net.astro
Subject: Space Debris
Message-ID: <547@hoxna.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 19-Aug-85 18:21:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: hoxna.547
Posted: Mon Aug 19 18:21:57 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 24-Aug-85 14:09:30 EDT
Organization: Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 19

Orbital Trash




Speaking of junk in space, does anyone remember an experiment about 20 years
ago in which a bunch (few hundred pounds, maybe) of tiny wires about the size
of needles was launched? I think the purpose was to see if they could be used
for communication (bouncing radio signals off of 'em). Well, in a short time,
they became so dispersed that they not only were useless for the original
experiment but also made the entire region of their orbit uninhabitable for
satellites. I remember this episode causing a lot of debate about trashing up
the satellite orbits. Somebody out there gotta remember what this was all
about.

Ken Kepple
hoxna!kek   datakit: ho/bedrock/fred!kek
AT&T-Bell Labs - Holmdel NJ 07733  201-949-6525  Cornet 8-233-6525
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