podcast thing

Space junk, consisting of debris left orbiting Earth, has become a pressing issue. Since the launch of the first satellite in 1957, there are now over 4,500 satellites in orbit, with companies like SpaceX and OneWeb leading the way. The cost and difficulty of bringing junk back to Earth is a challenge. The presence of space junk poses a threat to humans and satellites, potentially destabilizing Earth's orbit. The U.S. Congress allowed the space industry minimal restrictions, contributing to the problem. The impacts of space junk affect everyone, as the chemicals released contribute to climate change and rising tides. Those in low-lying areas or financially vulnerable communities are more at risk. It's a problem that requires attention and action. We've all been paranoid about getting rid of the junk in our backyard, yet clearly it is not just the backyard we should be worried about, it's the night sky which we all look up to. In today's podcast, we'll be tackling the issue of space junk in the atmosphere. We have my co-host Gabriel Rooks, our terrific interviewee and historian Jack, and I'm Issa Koizumi-Hachi. Thanks for joining me today and us, we're going to give you a brief overview of the issue at hand and who and what is being affected. Hey Jack. Hello. So put in simple terms, what exactly is space junk? So space junk is what it sounds like, it's any junk or trash left orbiting or floating around Earth. Most of the junk is shrapnel from rockets, rovers, and satellites. So when did space junk start? Well since the first satellite that was launched which was the Sputnik 1 in about 1957. So it's still floating around in the lower atmosphere? Yes, because above a certain height of about 36,000 km, the satellites don't come down. They end up being in the lower atmosphere for a really long time, just stagnating in the lower atmosphere. For example, according to Doosoft, there are over 4,500 satellites orbiting the Earth as of 2021. Most satellites are mostly used by SpaceX and OneWeb. Both SpaceX and OneWeb are internet companies that are promoting higher speed internet. I think that the internet speed is probably as good as it can get, yet I think it would be better to sacrifice 1 FPS for there to be less satellites sent up by these companies like focusing on more important things like space threats such as asteroids. Yeah, I think another reason that it would be tough to bring the satellites and rockets down from the atmosphere is because of the extremely high cost. It depends on the size of the junk and how much it will cost. For example, it will cost around $4 million for a body of a Thor-Altair rocket which is generally a smaller rocket. And for one NASA big rocket, it will cost around $62.5 million, which is a great amount. So Jack, why is this threat the use of the atmosphere and why do we need to fix it? We should fix this issue because it is dangerous to humans and satellites. Donald Kessler, a NASA scientist, said that he believes the junk will create a chain reaction leading to the Earth's orbit to be unstable. This will prevent the use of satellites. So who allowed this to happen? The U.S. Congress made a law that lets the U.S. space industry into space with minimal restrictions. And now we have our environmentalist who is going to talk about demographics and impacts. So who does this issue affect the most? Is there a specific group that is more in danger than the other? Well, it of course affects astronauts, governments, and companies that have rockets or satellites in space. But it also affects everything and everyone. So this is not just a problem that should interest the space community, but also on Earth. Why should all of us be worried about this issue? This is because the junk released is very chemical. These chemicals add to the damage of the ozone layer, which of course means that space junk is increasing climate change and the rising tides. Does this mean you should be worried about the effects of space junk in the environment no matter where you live? Obviously, climate change is a pressing problem no matter where you live. But the space junk is a problem more pressing if you live somewhere like Miami, for example, or low-lying islands. There are much more to risk to be affected by the space junk issue and therefore climate change than if you lived in a space like Denver or even Seattle. But climate change is not a problem that will really directly affect any of the residents. So what people in these cities are most affected? Are there certain communities or peoples? Well, to put it simply, people who are going to be more affected are going to be people who are not as financially stable or in poverty or low income. Because if some sort of natural disaster happened or if you had to pay to keep your city dry, people with less money would obviously be more affected and vulnerable. Well, I believe we've covered everything there is to say. In today's episode, we have covered space trash. We covered why there's rockets in space in the first place, what they do, and we said why it's a dangerous issue not just for humans but also for the environment. Finally, I want to thank you all for taking time out of your day to listen to our podcast about the space junk crisis. I want to thank Jack for interviewing us today. Thanks for having me. Thank you, and I'll see you on the next episode. Transcribed by https://otter.ai