Monitoring the space scrapheap

Did you think space was empty? Think again! The flotsam and jetsam left over from spacecraft launches, dead satellites and the wreckage generated by collisions between satellites and other pieces of space junk litters the region of space surrounding the Earth. Scientists working with a powerful radar system located in the arctic circle have recently revealed some exciting new results after monitoring space debris in orbit around our planet.

In January 2007, China sparked controversy across the world by using a missile launched from the ground to destroy one of its own weather satellites. The new cloud of space junk significantly adds to the amount of debris already orbiting our planet between 780–970 km altitude. Researchers at the EISCAT Scientific Association (of which the UK is a member), have been monitoring the debris field left behind by the satellite’s destruction.

‘Such long term monitoring of our upper atmosphere has never been attempted with a system such as this and provides us with a unique opportunity,’ said Professor van Eyken, head of the EISCAT Association. ‘As we move into the 21st century, we are increasingly dependent on many Earth orbiting satellites in our daily lives. They provide us with our weather reports, in-car navigation systems and television to name but a few. Even the smallest particles of debris can effect these systems so by gaining a better understanding of the dynamics of such debris we are better equipped to prevent any such system failures.’

This region of space is home to many important satellites and may cause significant operational problems to satellite operators. The space debris detection system has been developed under a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA).

The EISCAT radar system is designed to make measurements of the upper atmosphere and ionosphere (the part of the upper atmosphere from about 60–1500 km altitude that is ionised by incoming particles from the Sun.

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