Global Ethics Corner: Space Junk
Series: Global Ethics Corner
From: Carnegie Council
Length: 00:02:00
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Created and managed by Carnegie Council Ethics Studio and written by Senior Fellow William Vocke, Global Ethics Corner is a weekly 2 minute segment devoted to newsworthy ethical issues.
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Piece Description
Created and managed by Carnegie Council Ethics Studio and written by Senior Fellow William Vocke, Global Ethics Corner is a weekly 2 minute segment devoted to newsworthy ethical issues.
Transcript
Trash; like memory, language, and culture, garbage is a hallmark of our human species. Wherever we go, trash comes with us. Even into space.
According to NASA, over 135 million pieces of man-made metal debris orbit the Earth. Most of it comes from satellite explosions and collisions. Some comes from astronauts themselves: cameras, toothbrushes, tools are all floating in space.
Most space junk is tiny, less than four inches in diameter. But some is significantly larger. NASA estimates that over 20,000 pieces measuring four inches or longer currently float freely through space.
That's a lot of litter. What are we going to do about all this junk?
The good news is: most space junk is harmless. Atmospheric forces cause smaller pieces of debris to disintegrate during reentry.
But NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, which fell into the Pacific Ocean in September, weighed more than...
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Additional Credits
Deborah Carroll- Producer
William Vocke- Writer
Julia Kennedy- Content Editor, Producer/Host of Just Business
Robert Smithline- Editor
Terence Hurley- Editor
Gusta Johnson- Production Assistant
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