Lesson 12 of 12 · Space
Lesson⭐ 30 XP🚀 StarbaseSpace Junk and Orbits We Have to Share
Space Junk and Orbits We Have to Share.
🎯 Your mission
Master the concept. Use it tomorrow.
⚡ The twist
Up there, the rules of down here stop working.
Mind = Blown
🌟 The light from the closest star (after the sun) takes 4 years to reach you.
Make a hypothesis first
Predict: what would happen on the moon vs. on Earth?
What You'll Learn
Tens of thousands of trackable fragments now orbit Earth at speeds near 8 km/s, where even a paint fleck can hole a spacecraft. Every launch has to plan around them, and collisions create more debris, which is why the problem compounds.
Key Words
Tap a word to see its definition.
Steps
Read the explanation above and note the two key terms before you start.
Research how many trackable objects are in low Earth orbit today. Sketch a cascade diagram showing how one collision produces further collisions, and write one mitigation each for launchers and satellite operators.
Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.
Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 2Small debris is dangerous mainly because of its:
Where you see this in real life
GPS, weather forecasts, and the seasons all rely on this.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Find a constellation in the sky. Look it up. Tell someone its story.
For the dinner table
“If you could visit any planet, which would you pick and why?”
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
Share this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
Ready?
Space Junk and Orbits We Have to Share
Master the concept. Use it tomorrow.
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