Fuel stations in space could be the solution to our ongoing space debris problem. These stations could help reduce the amount of space debris orbiting our planet, at least by allowing satellites to refuel and continue operating.
This idea from Orbit Fab is based on the fact that more than 15,000 satellites have been placed in orbit since the 1950s, but only slightly more than half of these satellites continue to operate today. The rest either burned up as it re-entered the atmosphere or continued to orbit the Earth aimlessly, creating debris that other spacecraft had to avoid.
Placing a fuel station in space can enable satellites that run out of fuel to be used for much longer periods of time rather than having to terminate their missions. Additionally, placing refueling pads in space would make it easier to conduct a true space debris cleanup with specially designed spacecraft that could capture debris and return it to Earth to burn or reduce debris in other ways.
This is an interesting plan and one that could certainly be important in the future. Of course, in addition to figuring out how best to create this type of refueling station, work is also ongoing to figure out how the logistics of this entire system will work. Many questions remain unanswered, such as how often the refueling station will need to be refueled to keep it running, whether the station itself will need to land on Earth to store fuel, and whether humans will need to be involved in establishing connections between the station and the satellites.
Moreover, different logistics questions arise, such as whether a fuel station in space can refuel satellites currently in orbit or will only work with satellites sent with special equipment.
Still, seeing solutions like this being worked on gives hope that one day we will solve the space debris riddle and get things under control again.
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