Recently, I believe that everyone has heard about it, the US Starlink satellite has approached the Chinese space station twice dangerously, and the Chinese space station has taken emergency collision avoidance measures.
The two starlink satellites that collided with us are two of the more than 40,000 satellites that Musk's private satellite company Space X plans to launch into space.
Shi Chao first gave you a look at this matter.
The first time was on July 1 of this year, when Space X's 1095 starlink satellite almost crashed into our space station, which also had three astronauts just sent in by Shenzhou XII.
Logically, this 1095 satellite should stay in its own 555 km low Earth orbit to fly, and our space station is about 390 km, with a difference of more than a hundred km in between, it is impossible to touch.
However, after the launch of the 1095 satellite in Shenzhou XII, it suddenly lowered its orbit to 382 kilometers in May and June this year, more than ten kilometers away from us.
The distance is so close and the speed is still fast (about 7.9 kilometers per second), in order to ensure the safety of astronauts, we implemented emergency collision avoidance measures on July 1 to prevent accidents.
The second almost collision was on October 21 of this year, shortly after our Shenzhou 13 just sent 3 astronauts into the space station, and the 2305 Starlink satellite came looking for stubble.
This time more rogue, this satellite continuous maneuvering to change the orbit, to put it bluntly is to keep that swing, one will rise and one will fall, we can not predict its course of action, so we can only take emergency avoidance measures to move to a safe position.
In addition to the almost collision with our space station, there are many rogue operations of Starlink.
On September 2, 2019, the Starlink 44 satellite almost crashed into the European Space Agency's Fengshen Earth Observation Satellite.
Afterwards, the relevant person in charge of the European Space Agency said in an interview that we urgently contacted SpaceX to explain the situation, and they said that they did not intend to take any action...
In April, a Starlink satellite also nearly crashed into a similar satellite of the British company OneWeb, which was only 57.9 meters recently.
Britain's OneWeb company then blamed Space X for shutting down the starlink satellite's automatic avoidance system.
Yes, you heard it right, this thing can be automatically avoided.
But why is it closed? Because our automatic avoidance technology is not mature enough...
That is to say, our automatic avoidance can only be avoided once, for example, in this orbit I am about to collide with your space station, then I will automatically avoid to another orbit, but in the other orbit, if there are satellites that will collide, then I can't avoid it.
Everything is left to fate...
We don't know what these "stubble finding" operations of Space X are in the picture, but such a random change of track without greeting in advance is really really really dangerous.
First of all, the change of track is in space, not that two cars on the main road change lanes to let one let go.
Objects in space, let alone seven or eight kilometers per second, even if it is a 1 cm size object, it will immediately break through the satellite's solar panels, if it hits the core components of the space station, it will cause permanent damage.
If an object the size of 10 centimeters is attacked, then some of the external protection measures of the space station are useless, basically crashing into pieces.
If this starlink satellite collides with the space station, even if it is just a corner and corner, it is a reproduction of the scene of Gravity.
Satellites and space stations disintegrate in an instant, if only these two explosions are still small things, the key is to produce a pile of debris, but these fragments collide with other space stations and satellites, the entire space of all the facilities will have a series of explosions.
Not to mention that none of the astronauts on the International Space Station and the bunch of star-chain satellites have survived, and even the James Webb telescope that the United States just launched may disintegrate into slag.
The space exploration system that various countries around the world has been engaged in for decades may be played in an instant.
In order to avoid this kind of thing, there are international regulations on the facilities for launching into space.
For example, whose satellites run in which orbit are reported in advance, everyone knows each other's position, and runs in their own orbits in a disciplined manner.
If some satellites are about to be decommissioned or want to change their orbits, they should also be reported to the relevant Organizations of the United Nations in advance, and everyone should be prepared in advance and try to avoid them.
Speaking of this, it is estimated that some small partners will say to avoid it, anyway, they will avoid it twice a year.
I'll show you a few sets of data and you won't think that way.
As of December 9, 2021, there are 1944 satellites in low Earth orbit, of which 169 have failed or deorbited.
There are now 1,600 events of two spacecraft approaches in space every week, including 500 per week when starchains and other spacecraft approach.
In the future, Musk plans to launch 42,000 starlink satellites into space, and the probability of collision is exponentially increased in an instant.
And the life of these star-chain satellites is 3 to 4 years, and when they are used up, they are wasted, so they have to make up some more, and then there will be countless garbage in space.
Therefore, the head of the European Space Agency recently criticized Musk's Starlink program, saying that the Starlink is too space-space- Musk retorted: "The orbit around the Earth has plenty of space to accommodate tens of billions of satellites." ”
People also use the analogy that the earth's orbit can accommodate as many satellites as the earth can hold 2 billion cars and trucks, and now the thousands of satellites in low-Earth orbit are like thousands of cars on the earth, there is nothing to worry about.
The last time I saw outrageous remarks like this was during the epidemic when Wang advised Americans to drink disinfectant water.
Let's not talk about how fast the object in space is, as far as the daily car accidents on Earth are concerned, can there be another such "traffic accident" in this space?
Ten thousand steps back, your beautiful country does not want to care that Musk has launched so many satellites into the sky, then can you have a bit of a big country responsibility, and say hello to everyone in advance.
All day long to engage in riot operations, small actions, this time encounter with China can avoid, everyone is still relatively safe.
The next time you encounter a can't avoid it, make some "space accidents", get out of control, lift a stone and drop it on your own feet.
Don't forget the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, of which you and the United States are one, remains recognized as the cornerstone of international law in the field of outer space.
The treaty clearly stipulates that astronauts are envoys sent to outer space, that all states should respect and protect astronauts, and that each state should assume responsibility for all outer space activities of its own private companies.
Even on February 22 this year, US Secretary of State Blinken said at the Global Arms Control Conference: "The United States pursues the establishment of standards and rules for the peaceful use of space, and hopes that each country will be responsible for its own space behavior."
But now, almost letting his two satellites collide with China's International Space Station, he is not moved, and he has not heard an apology now.
This is not to ignore the safety of astronauts' lives, to betray the international treaties in which they are involved, to punch themselves in the face, and to come again with the "double standards" operation that Wave is most familiar with.
So in the end, the United States not only cannot allow Musk's Space X to launch countless unregulated satellites into space, but should also fulfill its national obligations, live up to its own words, and earnestly abide by international conventions.
Don't engage in the previous set of riots behind the set of riots, and then flash your old waist is not worth it.
Written by: LYX Editor: Polygons
Images, sources:
People's Daily – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs approved U.S. satellites to approach the Chinese space station twice
China's manned spaceflight official website
CNBC – The Foreign Ministry responds to the U.S. Starlink satellite approaching the Chinese space station twice: The United States' disregard for international treaty obligations in outer space is a typical double standard
Beijing News - Five questions about the US Starlink satellite approaching the Chinese space station: how dangerous is it? Who is responsible?
Observer Network - Chen Lan: Starlink dangerously collided with the Chinese space station, Musk must make an explanation!
Sina Technology — Musk denies that Starlink satellites crowd space: Earth's low orbit can hold tens of billions of satellites
Baidu – Starlink; gravity