Mission For The Space Force

| November 20, 2021


May the US Space Force (USSF) Be With You

U.S. military spox reported that Russia had carried out an anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons test recently in Earth orbit, defined as a “debris-generating” event .

ASAT weapons that reduce their targets to shreds pose orbital hazards by creating clouds of fragments. These fragments then can collide with other objects, compounding the space debris problem.

“We are actively working to characterize the debris field and will continue to ensure all space-faring nations have the information necessary to maneuver satellites if impacted,” U.S. Space Command said in a statement.

David sends. On a bright note, USSF is seeing an opportunity here.

The US Space Force Wants to Clean Up Junk in Orbit

Debris from a Russian anti-satellite weapons test adds new urgency to international and government efforts to get rid of high-flying trash.

RAMIN SKIBBA

EARLY MONDAY MORNING, a field of debris hurtled at some 17,000 miles per hour through the part of space where a derelict Russian satellite, Cosmos 1408, once orbited. Later that day, US State Department officials claimed that the 1,500-plus bits of flotsam originated from a Russian test of an anti-satellite missile. The risks of so much floating junk immediately became apparent: The fragments flew dangerously close to the International Space Station, forcing the crew to take shelter in the least vulnerable parts of the spacecraft.

The situation could’ve played out like the scene in the 2013 movie Gravity in which an astronaut, played by Sandra Bullock, flees the ISS as it’s destroyed by a massive clump of orbiting debris. The real shower of shrapnel missed the ISS, but it continued to make close passes every 90 minutes or so. Some of it will likely remain in orbit for decades. Russian officials, who on Tuesday confirmed the weapons test, claim the fragments aren’t a hazard for space activity.

US officials think otherwise. “The debris created by Russia’s [anti-satellite test] will continue to pose a threat to activities in outer space for years to come, putting satellites and space missions at risk, as well as forcing more collision avoidance maneuvers,” stated General James Dickinson, head of the US Space Command, in a press release on Monday. “Space activities underpin our way of life and this kind of behavior is simply irresponsible.”

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To actively tackle the problem, today the Space Force’s technology arm, known as SpaceWERX, will begin recruiting the private sector to develop proposals for actually removing debris via a new program called Orbital Prime. SpaceWERX will initially award dozens of contracts worth $250,000 each, likely starting early next year, to companies that have the ability to whisk trash out of harm’s way, as well as to perform other duties like refueling and repairing orbiting spacecraft to prevent them from becoming derelict.

Wired

Thanks, David. Our latest Military Branch’s first mission is to generate proof-of-concept contracts by the truck load. I’ve seen this movie before, and it has a sad ending. Any doubt which billionaire will snag these up directly or by proxy?

Category: Blue Skies, Guest Link, Russia, Space Force

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Berliner

This calls for a Space Force “police call”.

Been there/done that with a 1SG with an “attitude” that took us to a gravel parking lot to pick up all the “big” rocks.

Green Thumb

Or maybe Klingons around Uranus.

M48DAT

It was only a matter of time before everyone lines up for police call. Field strip the butts and put them in your space pocket.

nobunny

Might look a little something like this:

Ex-PH2

Hey! You stole my idea, nobunny! Not fair! I will pout!!!

Sapper3307

I remember the concept ,,do you?

Sapper3307

And proven satellite recovery.

Sparks

So we are probably behind in another space race. This was overheard at Space Force. (Man… I just can’t say Space Force without giggling) “We can’t let the Ruskies get ahead of us in satellite destruction! We need satellite weapons in space now, like, yesterday. Put a call out for the lowest bidders on satellite destruction weapons ASAP. We ain’t lettin’ those Commies win the satellite wars.”

Green Thumb

Its just a matter of time before the False Commander “Phony” Phil Monkress (CEO of All-Points Logistics) gets in on the gravy train by attempting to procure some of these contracts based upon his highly questionable and potentially felonious Native American, Law Enforcement and Navy SEAL claims.

Anonymous

Déjà vu! (I’m sure you’re right– the first few attempts usually show how efforts need to be improved.)

Jeff LPH 3, 63-66

Quark had this in the year 2226 United Galaxy Sanitation Patrol Cruiser, an interstellar garbage scow operating out of United Galaxies Space Station Perma One in the year 2226. Richard Benjaman was the skipper of the space garbage scow.

SFC D

Awesome show!

11B-Mailclerk

“…And now we wait for the bee…”

5JC

NASA has been working on space junk for years. It is a really expensive problem to solve.

11B-Mailclerk

So, spacemen check each other’s junk.

Green Thumb

And Phil Monkress likes to store that junk in his trunk.

KoB

As if the Russkies give a damn how much more junk is up there or whether that junk may and or may not hit/endanger the ISS. They now know that they can take out any of the satellites that are up there.

Prolly one reason we don’t see too many ETs flying close to Earth. They don’t want to ding their Space Cruiser. They passed on the chance to buy the extended warranty.

5JC

They do care. The tests were carried out 1963-83. The prevailing thinking at the time was that the US was so far ahead of the Soviets in satellites that having the sky darkened would only help the CCCP and that war was inevitable. Times are different now.

Sapper3307

Green Thumb

TheCloser

GEODDS has been tracking/cataloging space junk using telescopes for close to forty years;

https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104594/ground-based-electro-optical-deep-space-surveillance/