The United States Can't Solve Space Debris On Its Own

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1373/1 / 5/28/09 

Title: Space debris: why the US cannot go it alone
A recent article in The Space Review claims the US should deal with the issue of space debris unilaterally (see “Unilateral orbital cleanup”, May 4, 2009). A complete analysis of individual space debris removal strategies is beyond the scope of this forum. For that matter, even the question of a passive or active strategy for dealing with space debris is a complex issue by itself. The purpose herein is to look at one active space debris strategy proposal and point out some technical and policy implications. The conclusion is the US cannot afford to, nor should it attempt to, deal with space debris on its own.
Space Junk hits Earth Often, not People
Seth Borenstein journalist of MSNBC

http://www.thelivingmoon.com/41pegasus/02files/Space_Debris_02.html / Feb. 20, 2008 

Title: DANGERS FROM SPACE Space Debris
In the past 40 years, about 12 million pounds of manmade space junk has survived re-entering Earth's atmosphere, according to the orbital debris center. Yet experts in the field know of only one report of a person being hit by space debris. Lottie Williams of Tulsa, Okla., was struck on the shoulder in 1997 by a small piece of debris from a discarded piece of a Delta rocket. She was unhurt. The reason space junk doesn't regularly hit people is simple: About 70 percent of the Earth is water. And on average there are about 130 people per square mile of land on Earth, but people don't take up a lot of space. Far more than 99.9 percent of the land on Earth is not occupied by a person at a given time, according to rough calculations by researcher Alex de Sherbinin of Columbia University. There is no one place on Earth that is more prone to space junk than others. Where satellites fall depend on their particular orbit. So the orbital debris center that studies the issue puts the odds of anyone being hurt by any piece of re-entering space junk at one in a trillion, saying you are far more likely to get hit by lightning. Using Columbia University's population density maps, McDowell calculated that at the highest possible risk, there's a 1-in-10,000 chance that the dead satellite could hit a person. However, it's probably closer to one in a million, McDowell said.


US-China Relations Are Strained
MICHAEL WINES Writer for the New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/world/asia/08china.html / 3/7/10 

Title: China Blames U.S. for Strained Relations
The blame for friction in Chinese-United States relations “does not lie with China,” and it is up to the United States to take steps to repair the frayed ties, China’s foreign minister repeated Sunday. 
The minister, Yang Jiechi, said at a news conference that the administration of President Obama had seriously disrupted the relationship by announcing the sale of weapons to Taiwan and holding a White House meeting with the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, in a three-week period this year.

U.S. -Russia relations will not improve in near future
Dr. Luis Simón post-doctoral research fellow on European Security at the Institute for European Studies and co-ordinates the security and defence programme at the Observatory of Spanish Foreign Policy. He holds a Ph.D. from Royal Holloway, University of London, an M.A. in European Studies from the Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris and the University of Bath (Euromasters) and a B.A. in International Relations from the London Metropolitan University.
In the short term, the prospects for improved Russian-American relations look bleak. ongoing distrust between Moscow and Washington may hinder a new partnership, the likelihood of an eventual improvement should be easily ruled out. Others have interpreted Mr. Obama reaching out to the Russians merely as standard protocol, something mandatory to every new administration and unlikely to go much beyond the cosmetic realm.
Space debris ar not a threat to space station
Denise Chow Writer for MSNBC

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43713326/ns/technology_and_science-space/ / 7/11/2011 

Title: Soviet debris deemed no threat to space station
space junk will pose no danger to the International Space Station and the attached shuttle Atlantis. 
"Mission Control has verified that orbital debris will not be a threat to the International Space Station and space shuttle Atlantis," agency officials said in a statement. "No adjustments to the docked spacecraft’s orbit will be necessary to avoid the debris." 
Space debris: why the US cannot do it alone
Kirk Woellert former Navy intelligence officer with experience in space systems and information technology. He is currently a graduate student at The Space Policy Institute, George Washington University

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1373/1 / May 18, 2009 

Title: Space debris: why the US cannot go it alone
From a policy perspective a unilateral approach by the US is counter to historical precedent and trends in US space policy. The ISS the most audacious example to date of international cooperation cost an estimated $100 billion to design and deploy. Would the ISS exist today if the U.S. were the only country willing to pony up the money? Space science program managers appear to want more international cooperation. Indeed, as noted in this publication, NASA and ESA are actively working to promote international cooperation in space science programs as a way to address limited budgets (see “Doing more for less (or the same) in space science”, The Space Review, May 4, 2009). The U.S. civil space budget is already under considerable stress with the competing requirements of safely retiring the Space Shuttle, operating the ISS, and pursuing the Constellation program. It seems improbable Congress would appropriate the additional funding for NASA to effectively clean up space debris.

US/China relations are stict at present
Keith B. Richburg Writer for the Washington Post.

Richburg, Keith B. "Disputes, Disappointment Strain U.S.-China Relations." The Washington Post: National, World & D.C. Area News and Headlines - The Washington Post. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. . / 11/08/10 

Title: Disputes, disappointment strain U.S.-China relations
On Obama's return to Asia - a trip that pointedly bypasses China - the talk of partnership and shared burdens has been largely replaced by a deep mutual mistrust, with widespread disappointment on both sides.In the intervening 12 months, Chinese leaders became infuriated when Obama met with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, whom China has branded a separatist criminal, and when Washington announced plans to sell sophisticated weapons to Taiwan.
space debris impossible to track and harmless
ESA space debris research (European Space Agency) third and final part of the space-debris series, "Mitigation and the Case for a Code of Conduct," will examine current proposals for space debris mitigation through measures that cost little yet contribute significantly to protecting the space environment for future use.

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ESOC/SEMZL0P256E_0.html / April 2005 

Title: Space debris: assessing the risk
assessing the risk due to smaller debris objects and meteoroids is an entirely different matter, as these are difficult or impossible to track. Smaller debris range from microscopic particles of dust, which are relatively harmless, up to objects about 1 cm in diameter. Objects in this range are a threat, but protective shielding, including Whipple Shield technology, is sufficiently robust to defeat these. Shielding, however, can only be used on some missions, such as the International Space Station (ISS). Whipple Shields use a multi-layer system similar to the armour employed on tanks and military vehicles to defeat armour-piercing rounds fired from high-velocity cannon. Orbital debris objects are also travelling very fast, typically tens of thousands of kilometres per hour.
The US cannot afford to deal with space debris and cannot do it on their own.
Kirk Woellert an analyst with Interorbital Systems. Prior to Interorbital he was a research assistant at the Space Policy Institute.

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1373/1 / Monday, May 18, 2009 

Title: Space debris: why the US cannot go it alone
The US cannot afford to, nor should it attempt to, deal with space debris on its own. 
When it comes to actually doing something about the problem the task and most of the cost will almost inevitably fall to the Americans. 
Nick Johnson, NASA’s top expert on space debris, has stated "the US doing something by itself is not sufficient.” However, if the Americans do nothing then it’s likely no one else will either. It sometimes seems as if those in power in Washington and elsewhere are more interested in making excuses and explaining why they cannot actually do anything about the problem than they are in trying to figure out an effective response. 


space-debris situation is unlikely to improve
European Space Agency third and final part of the space-debris series, "Mitigation and the Case for a Code of Conduct," will examine current proposals for space debris mitigation through measures that cost little yet contribute significantly to protecting the space environment for future use.

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ESOC/SEMZL0P256E_0.html / April 2005 

Title: Space debris: assessing the risk
Despite such tools, the space-debris situation is unlikely to improve unless concentrated, coordinated and systematic steps are taken to mitigate the risks that are now so clearly understood. "Too many objects could render space too risky and unusable in the future," emphasises Klinkrad. Spacecraft operators must avoid deliberate and unintentional break-up of their craft including deliberate and unintentional explosions or collisions, as these are the major sources of untrackable yet deadly debris.
the average time between destructive collisions is about 10 years
European Space Agency hird and final part of the space-debris series, "Mitigation and the Case for a Code of Conduct," will examine current proposals for space debris mitigation through measures that cost little yet contribute significantly to protecting the space environment for future use.

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ESOC/SEMZL0P256E_0.html / April 2005 

Title: Space debris: assessing the risk
While these figures may at first glance seem comfortably large for any particular satellite, there are many satellites in orbit around the Earth. "If you calculate the combined profile area of all satellites in orbit, you find that the average time between destructive collisions is about 10 years," says Klinkrad.

Space Debris Threat Needs International Response, Military Official Says
SPACE.com Staff 

http://www.space.com/11191-space-debris-international-response.html / 22 March 2011 

Title: Space Debris Threat Needs International Response, Military Official Says
The United States needs to team up with other countries and the private sector to track the huge volume of potentially dangerous space debris circling the Earth, according to a U.S. military official. 
Lt. Gen. Susan Helms, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command's Joint Functional Component Command for Space said We must partner with other nations and enterprises to achieve mutually beneficial goals, and at the top of our priorities is the development of comprehensive SSA,"

NASA is producing laser technology now - its feasible
Evan Ackerman 

http://dvice.com/archives/2011/03/nasa-wants-to-b-1.php / March 14th, 2011 

Title: DVice Syfy, NASA wants to blast space junk with lasers from the ground
Rogue space junk poses a serious threat to both manned and unmanned spacecraft, since it just takes one wayward screw or fleck of paint to potentially punch a hole in some critical system. NASA has considered everything from balloons to sails to help mitigate the problem, and now the agency is thinking about a laser. The idea of shooting down space junk with a gigantic ground-based laser has been around since the 90s, when the U.S. Air Force toyed with the concept. The primary issue with the idea is that if you have a big enough laser to blast space junk out of orbit, you also have a big enough laser to blast space non-junk out of orbit, which makes anyone with a military satellite understandably nervous. This latest proposal relies on a much less powerful laser, something on the order of five kilowatts, which is ten times less powerful than this weapons-grade laser. Instead of vaporizing the junk, the laser would just slow it down enough that it would eventually burn up in our atmosphere all by itself. One system could take care of about ten different pieces of junk per day, which is enough to get ahead of the space junk curve, meaning that eventually, the skies would be clean, clear, and safe. The laser is only estimated to cost about a million dollars, which is absurdly cheap considering how much it costs to launch one single satellite, and the system could even pay for itself by being used for fuel-free orbital adjustments to existing satellites designed to absorb laser blasts.

Debris removal systems can cause problems between nations, especially over removing another nations property
Leonard David Astronomer, Space news

http://www.spacenews.com/civil/orbital-debris-cleanup-takes-center-stage.html / 09/25/09 

Title: Orbital Debris Cleanup Takes Center Stage
differentiating between a debris removal system and an anti-satellite capability could be a thorny issue. As Ailor put it: “The idea that a debris removal system is operated by one country … goes up and removes something that is owned by another … that’s going to be a touchy issue.” Klinkrad agreed. “I guess the debris removal system has the potential to be an anti-satellite [system] if you don’t ask the owner if he wants the spacecraft to be removed,”
small percentage of debris in orbit is tracked and cataloged

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS Washington, D.C. Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems

http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=4765&page=R1 / 1995 

Title: ORBITAL DEBRIS

Leonard David Leonard David has been reporting on the space industry for more than four decades. He is past editor-in-chief of the National Space Society's Ad Astra and Space World magazines and has written for SPACE.com since 1999.

http://www.space.com/6720-space-littering-impact-earths-atmosphere.html / 5/19/09 

Title: Space Littering Can Impact Earth’s Atmosphere

http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/07/11/53043711.html / Jul 11, 2011 

Title: Lavrov urges further reset of Russian-US ties
In an interview with the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper published on Sunday, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov urged Moscow and Washington to jointly grapple with security issues, which he said should contribute to the ongoing reset of Russian-US relations. Strategic stability and strategic parity still hinge on Russia and the United States, Lavrov said, at the same time lamenting Washington’s reluctance to consult Moscow when it comes to the creation of a missile shield in Europe.

Saving to Much Money is Going to Kill Our Economy
Chris Isidore CNNMoney.com senior writer 

http://money.cnn.com/2009/02/12/news/economy/savings_rate/index.htm / 2/12/09 

Title: Why saving is killing the economy
It wasn't that long ago that many economists worried that Americans were saving too little. 
Today, the growing concern is that Americans are starting to save too much. 
It's not that the savings rate today is high by historic measures, or by comparisons to some other countries. But it has moved sharply higher in recent months -- at a time when what the economy needs most is for consumers to be spending more freely. 
"In the long-term, it's best for Americans to save more. But right now, with the economy underwater, it's the worst time for that," said Rich Yamarone, director of economic research at Argus Research. 
The savings rate, as calculated by the Commerce Department, hit 3.6% in December, or the equivalent of $36 for every $1,000 of after-tax income. 
That's up from 0.8% in August, or only $8 of every $1,000 of income. And since the average income for Americans is flat to slightly down during the past few months, the only way the savings rate can rise is for spending to fall. 
"That's a lot of spending that's not happening," said Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's Economy.com. He said the jump in the savings rate since last summer is "the difference between an economy that is growing and one that is struggling mightily."
US/China/Russia relations are critical to maintaining stability
Huei-Ming Mao Assistant Professor at the National Defense University Management College.

http://www2.tku.edu.tw/~ti/Journal/8-3/834.pdf / 2003 Page 84

Title: The U.S.-China-Russia Strategic Triangle Relationship Since the Beginning of the Bush Administration
However, September 11 changed the world and redefined relationships among the three powers. For the moment, relations between Washington, Moscow, and Beijing are of critical importance. Nevertheless, under the Washington-Beijing-Moscow strategic triangle relations, the U.S. wants to dominate international relations, while Russia and china are united against the U.S. in some ways. Under this condition, how that "strategic triangle" is managed will go a long way toward determining whether the world is stable and peaceful. The big powers' relations were always crucial in shaping the order of a region, as well as of the world. From the history of international relations, where there is imbalance, there would be a struggle for balance, thus the maintaining of trilateral strategic balance is of great significance. If the strategic triangle is managed properly, the danger of a great power war in the coming decades will be virtually eliminated.

Neg- Harms


Will increas uncontrollably Cut By Amber Benning
David Leonard, Space.com’s insider columnist

/ 2009 Page 9-25

Title: "Orbital Debris Cleanup Takes Center Stage”
one collision has the potential to produce many others — is unavoidable at this point. “When we do long-term projections of the space debris environment, it turns out that space debris mitigation measures will delay — but not prevent — collisional cascading from happening in the low Earth orbit regime,This is even so if we stop all launching activities right now … once that [cascading] process has started there is no way of controlling it again.”

NASA has shields that are beginning to be deployed. They stop ALL space junk. No need for removal
Crews author, NYT 

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3957/is_200007/ai_n8912801/print?tag=artBody;col1 / 2009 

Title: “Enhanced shield against meteroids and orbital debris,”
NASA scientists, who are very concerned with the increasing hazard of impacts of orbital debris impact on spacecraft, have designed the "stuffed Whipple" shield - a lightweight, relatively inexpensive alternative to simple aluminum meteoroid/orbital-debris (M/OD) shield. The stuffed Whipple shield features an easily adaptable design that increases protection against hyper velocity impacts (HVIs), without significantly affecting previously formulated designs of spacecraft. The stuffed Whipple shield is critical to the continued human exploration of space, especially to the Space Station, in as much as the Station will be operating in low orbit around the Earth and will need shielding against HVIs in order to survive intact and for an appreciable amount of time and continue to safely support human habitation. Scientists project that the number of HVIs from detritus of artificial objects will increase from 2 to 5 percent per year - an increase that could produce devastating results.The design of the stuffed Whipple shield greatly reduces the risk of loss of a spacecraft crew and/or damage to the spacecraft. It also increases crew efficiency, in that by providing more efficient shielding, it reduces the frequency of both extravehicular and intra vehicular activities EVAs and IVAs to effect repairs of HVI penetrations of the outer skin of the spacecraft. It is particularly amenable to introduction in the final or nearly-completed phase of the spacecraft-design effort. The stuffed Whipple shield can be retrofitted to any extant military or commercial spacecraft.

The ISS Is In No Danger Of Being Harmed By Space Debris
Bruce D. Dvorak The Boeing Company, ISS Meteoroid/Debris Shielding & Survivability Team, 5301 Bolsa Avenue, Huntington Beach, CA

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0734743X99000743 / Nov. 27 2001 Page 1

Title: Hypervelocity impact testing of the pressurized mating adapters for the International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) has three pressurized mating adapters (PMAs) that are uniquely designed with the latest machining and welding technologies. Each PMA shell consists of five individually machined 2219-T852 ring forgings welded together using a precision variable polarity plasma arc (VPPA) welding process. Low-cost, lightweight metallic shielding is used as on-orbit protection against meteoroid and orbital debris impacts. To determine the adequacy of this shielding at both the weld and nonweld regions, a two-phase hypervelocity impact (HVI) test program was completed at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) Hypervelocity Impact Test Facility (HIT-F). From this test program, it was determined that the shield performance at the PMA pressure shell's critical weld and nonweld regions met and exceeded analysis predictions for the most penetrating threats achievable with no indications of premature through-cracking, perforation, detached spall, or excessive bulging.

Collision reports are Faulty
Zachary Kussin world news reporter

www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/five-things/space-junk/10182/ / July 1, 2011 ( 

Title: http://, Title: Space junk,
Thanks to NASA and DoD surveillance, major collisions with human spacecraft stand a low chance. Tuesday marked the second time the International Space Station crew had to hunker down in Soyuz ships. Generally, scientists know well beforehand if a collision is to occur with the help of handy formulas and diagrams. If an object approaches a spacecraft or a satellite, mission control issues warnings and tells individual stations and satellite operators to change their current locations with good time to spare.
Space debris is dangerous.
Staff Writers Of Energy Daily 

http://www.energy-daily.com/reports/100000_Pieces_Of_Trash_In_Space_Poses_No_Shortage_Of_Risks_999.html / Sep 24, 2006 

Title: 100,000 Pieces Of Trash In Space Poses No Shortage Of Risks
Many of those pieces of space junk can kill astronauts, puncture satellites or, if nothing else, scratch up the space shuttle's expensive windows. "It's one of these problems that is growing in seriousness," said William Ailor, director of the Center for Orbital and Re-entry Debris Studies at the Aerospace Corp in Los Angeles. "It's really the small things that will get you."

A2- Russia

Russia and China Relations Are Fragile; Dependent Upon U.S. Policy
Richard Weitz Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Political-Military Analysis at Hudson Institute

http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/pub868.pdf / Aug 2008 Page 5

Title: China-Russia security relations : strategic parallelism without partnership or passion?
For almost 2 decades, China and Russia have been strengthening their security ties. Nonetheless, as this monograph makes clear, the relationship between Beijing and Moscow remains in flux. In some cases, they share overlapping interests. In other instances, they compete for power and wealth, particularly for oil and gas resources Many factors will affect Sino-Russian ties— including developments within China and Russia as well as external events. As part of this mix, American policies will also have some impact on the future foreign behavior of both countries. Although Washington should attempt to develop good security relations with both countries, American policymakers must also prepare to respond effectively should relations between these two great powers evolve in ways that threaten core American values and interests. This monograph suggests some policy proposals to that effect.

Russia Wishes To Avoid Militarization of Space As Well As Is Wary That Aerospace Technology Will Directly Lead To Militarization
Richard Weitz Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Political-Military Analysis at Hudson Institute 

http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/pub868.pdf / Aug 2008 Page 5 / Aug 2008 Page 9

Title: China-Russia security relations : strategic parallelism without partnership or passion?
As in other spheres, China and Russia have both parallel and conflicting interests in outer space. The two governments have long been concerned over U.S. military programs in this realm. In response, Chinese and Russian delegations to various UN disarmament meetings have submitted joint working papers and other proposals to begin multilateral disarmament negotiations to avert the militarization of space. In addition, Beijing and Moscow have independently issued broad threats intended to dissuade the United States from actually deploying space-based weapons. Despite their overlapping interests in countering U.S. military activities in space, Russia has been very circumspect in cooperating with China’s space program. The Russian position likely reflects recognition that many aerospace technologies have direct military applications.