There’s an interesting feature article by Frank Schaefer in the latest issue of ERCIM News (No. 65, Apr 2006) all about space junk. Schaefer points out that the historic practice of abandoning spacecraft, rocket stages, and defunct satellites has led to something like 2000 tonnes of debrit accumulating in earth’s orbit. He produces a diagram showing the catalogued distribution of this junk, much of which is in the form of tiny, but incredibly fast-moving particles.
Obviously, it is a real concern for anyone sending up new equipment as these high-energy particles can rip through equipment and space-suits with rather inconvenient results.
The caption for a photo showing a piece of irreperably damaged circuitry says it all: Degradation of computer performance follwed by cease of operation shortly after encounter of the hypervelocity particle”.
Why they had to say it in such a flamboyant way, I don’t know.