Space Junk Page 2

Quote: Leevil @ November 5 2009, 12:26 PM GMT

It's kind of off putting to do any recycling around here, when you read a stories in the paper about bin men collecting the recycled box and just dumping it in the waste truck like it's normal rubbish .

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That happens a lot unfortunately, the recycling centres underestimated the verve of the British populace to do as they're told and the recyclers just simply can't keep up with the sheer volumes, so the bin men have to dump it in the landfill.

It doesn't help that if you refuse to recycle, the local council will impose heavy fines on you.

Good old British logic at work.

Quote: DaButt @ November 5 2009, 12:27 PM GMT

The space station has grown huge and is often easy to spot in the night sky.

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Here in Bristol is apparently a good place to regularly observe the ISS. Not particularly sure why...

Quote: Lee Henman @ November 5 2009, 12:29 PM GMT

It's on their website http://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/photogallery/beehives.html

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That's not the same graphic, but it doesn't really make any difference.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ November 5 2009, 12:30 PM GMT

Good old British logic at work.

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Things may have changed, but certainly 10 years ago it was calculated that it costs more in terms of energy and resources (water being a notable one) to recycle most rubbish items, as opposed to making new ones and dumping the old ones in landfill. (Considering the depth we can dig landfills to and the amount of suitable land available, we're not going to run out of available space any time soon.)

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ November 5 2009, 12:30 PM GMT

That happens a lot unfortunately, the recycling centres underestimated the verve of the British populace to do as they're told and the recyclers just simply can't keep up with the sheer volumes, so the bin men have to dump it in the landfill.

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But I'm sure the valuable scrap (like aluminum) always makes its way to the recycling plant. There's not much demand or profit when it comes to paper, plastic and glass, so it's hard to blame them for dumping it. But I guess you're living on a relatively small island, so space is at a greater premium than it is here.

I don't recycle because they charge me an extra $5 to do so. I'm not going to pay for the added hassle of sorting through my trash, only to have the waste management company sell my cans for a profit. I've told them I'll be happy to recycle when I'm not financially penalized for doing so.

Quote: Tim Walker @ November 5 2009, 12:30 PM GMT

Here in Bristol is apparently a good place to regularly observe the ISS. Not particularly sure why...

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We can find it on our telescope. I should say could. It's broken.

Quote: DaButt @ November 5 2009, 12:41 PM GMT

But I guess you're living on a relatively small island, so space is at a greater premium than it is here.

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Texas is so huge that the waste and garbage from New York City is dumped in landfills in your very State.

There are parts of Texas that smell so bad, that you can't get near it without wearing a gas mask.

That's right Texas, NYC is literally shitting on you, what are you gonna do about it? I mean aside from taking money to pollute your desert wasteland?

Quote: Tim Walker @ November 5 2009, 12:30 PM GMT

Here in Bristol is apparently a good place to regularly observe the ISS. Not particularly sure why...

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The ISS orbit is at an inclination of about 50 degrees and that's about the same as Bristol's latitude, no? That means you can get occasional passes directly overhead. I'm sure the designers would have liked to have had an orbit with less inclination (it's cheaper because less fuel is required for launch) but the ISS needed to be reachable from Russian launch facilities and they're very far north of the equator. A lower inclination would have meant reduced visibility from the UK, or perhaps none at all.

Quote: DaButt @ November 5 2009, 12:58 PM GMT

The ISS orbit is at an inclination of about 50 degrees and that's about the same as Bristol's latitude, no? That means you can get occasional passes directly overhead. I'm sure the designers would have liked to have had an orbit with less inclination (it's cheaper because less fuel is required for launch) but the ISS needed to be reachable from Russian launch facilities and they're very far north of the equator. A lower inclination would have meant reduced visibility from the UK, or perhaps none at all.

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Blimey. Yes, well that makes sense. I keep meaning to get the old binoculars out when it makes a pass. I think you can go to the NASA website and find out exactly when it does so as well. Cheers.

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ November 5 2009, 12:48 PM GMT

Texas is so huge that the waste and garbage from New York City is dumped in landfills in your very State.

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Texas is so huge that we could bury the entire UK and still have 175,000 square miles of free space left over.

Yes, but you'll never bury our spirits!

Quote: Tim Walker @ November 5 2009, 1:11 PM GMT

I keep meaning to get the old binoculars out when it makes a pass. I think you can go to the NASA website and find out exactly when it does so as well.

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I haven't used NASA's predictions, but the Heavens Above site predicts the magnitude (brightness) of the satellite. If the spacecraft is sunlit while the viewing location is in darkness you'll get a pass that's easily viewable with the naked eye.

Quote: Leevil @ November 5 2009, 1:14 PM GMT

Yes, but you'll never bury our spirits!

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We'll drink yer spirits and throw yer tea in the Gulf of Mexico.

Having designed a single stage to orbit aircraft for my final year design project at Uni I would like assure everyone that when I asked about "space junk" I was told to forget about it.

There is a lot of space and not a lot of junk.

So that is comforting if you ever wanted to go to space.

Unless you happen to be in that bit of space that has some junk of course.

Quote: DaButt @ November 5 2009, 1:16 PM GMT

We'll drink yer spirits and throw yer tea in the Gulf of Mexico.

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Put 'em up, I say, put em up!