Experts called before the U.S lawmakers to address the growing threat outside Earth-the debris, or "space junk." They argued that it may cause impending disastrous collisions in orbit if not cleaned up.
On Friday, experts from the U.S. Department of Defense, Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and many others presented their argument before the U.S House of Representatives. They discussed the growing threat of space junk, which totals to almost half a million, surrounding Earth.
"Orbital debris, or space junk as it is sometimes called, is not science fiction. It is a growing problem," said Texas Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson during the hearing covered by the SPACE.com. "Dealing with the increase in orbital debris will not be easy."
Astronauts also shared how the space junk interfered with their previous missions.
"During my two spaceflights, we flew upside down and backwards to prevent our space shuttle windows from being hit by debris strikes," former NASA astronaut George Zamka said to SPACE.com.
The Joint Functional Component Command for Space (JFCC-Space) which monitors the debris estimated 23,000 debris on the low-orbit and 500,000 pieces of space junks traveling at a speed of 17,000 mph. Such speed is capable of damaging a satellite or spacecraft.
Space surveillance is one of the roles of the U.S Department of Defense but may need amendment as the future of commercial space flights draw near. The FAA is already working with private companies to ensure that they do not add on the growing number of space junk. However, commercial activities are under the supervision of the FCC and NOAA. Since there are many agencies involved, identifying which is really responsible for the clean-up becomes complicated.
Brian Weeden, a technical advisor for Secure World Foundation, recommends that the government assigns the clean-up task to the agency that has expertise in managing space junk.
NASA, for the meantime, has developed plans to avoid the space junks. Their game plan is to predict the path of the junk and maneuver the spacecraft 30 hours before the expected time to prevent collision.
