Video: Space pollution & the environment I Reach Out Reporter

Feature

12/01/2022

Litter isn't just a problem on Earth – it's filling up space too! Explore the issue of space junk and what we can do about it.

Transcript for part 1
Transcript for part 2

Sputnik Launched: 10/04/1957

Since the Russian satellite Sputnik was launched in 1957, we’ve sent over 8000 rockets into space - and those are the ones we know about!

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But all this activity is leaving a trace.

Our planet is now surrounded by pollution – pieces of litter and debris, otherwise known as space junk.

It’s a bit like a floating junkyard up there – there are broken satellites, leftover rocket boosters, even lost gloves and tools, dropped by astronauts on space walks.

For a long time, leaving things in space didn’t seem like a big deal.

Some of it eventually burns up in the atmosphere.

As for the rest – well, space is huge - what are the chances of anyone crashing into something?

Trouble is, most of what we send into space stays fairly close by and the area around Earth is starting to get crowded.

One stray bolt, traveling at 27,000 kilometers per hour is enough to take out a satellite, destroying a multimillion dollar piece of tech.

That could cause serious problems … even shut down your television service!

And to make matters worse, when two pieces of space junk smash into each other they break up into lots of smaller pieces, creating even more debris.

170,000,000

Today, there are more than 170 million pieces of space junk whizzing around high above our heads and it’s getting harder and harder to avoid collisions with spacecraft.

If we want to keep space safe for astronauts and satellites, we need to reduce the amount of junk we leave behind … and start clearing up what’s already there.

Space junk is litter left in space.

Our planet is surrounded by space junk, and that’s bad news for anyone living in orbit.

Aboard the International Space Station, astronauts are put on red alert whenever large pieces of debris threaten to smash into their high-tech home.

If there’s even a small chance of a collision, the station is steered out of harm’s way.

These advance warnings are possible thanks to powerful telescopes and radar systems back on Earth, which track the debris’ movement.

Right now, NASA’s tracking around 30,000 bits of junk that are bigger than a smartphone.

Whipple shield

As for the millions of other pieces, too small to track and dodge – they’re handled by the space station’s outer wall – called a Whipple shield.

The shield is made up of different layers – a thin outer bumper breaks the debris into smaller pieces, strong padding slows it down, and finally, a thick inner wall stops the debris in its tracks.

However, to really solve the problem of space junk, we need to go further than just tracking its movement or putting up shields.

What we really need to do … is tidy up.

Scientists are investigating different ways of removing the space junk, like collecting it up with robot arms, and nets.

Or using magnets, and even lasers, to move the junk out of harm’s way.

Hopefully, inventions like these can make space less polluted – and less dangerous.

There are different ways of removing space junk.

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Space Junk

Teaching overview

Learning points

Part 1

Litter and debris that’s left in space is known as space junk.
Even small pieces of space junk can damage satellites.
Today, there are more than 170 million pieces of space junk in orbit around Earth.

Curriculum keywords

Materials
Forces
Environmental impact
Space
Pollution
Technology
Energy
STEM

Learning points

Part 2

The International Space Station can be steered out of the way of any large pieces of debris.
A Whipple shield protects the ISS from smaller pieces of space junk.
Scientists are investigating ways of clearing up space junk, such as using nets or magnets.

Spark a discussion

What do you think the word “junk” means? Can you give some examples of junk?
Did you see any trash/junk on the way to school? If so, what?
Why is trash/junk a problem?
What happens to our trash? Where does it go?
What in the film did you find most interesting?
Why is space junk a problem?
What do you think should be done about the amount of space junk orbiting Earth?
Who would be affected by space junk? Are you?

Multimedia toolbox

Litter

Show this visual before the videos to spark a class discussion about rubbish.

ISS clip

Play this clip before the video and discuss what it would be like to live in space, and why it might be dangerous.

Space junk

Debris in orbit around the Earth.

Space junk

Show this visual after the videos to reinforce key scientific language.

Satellite

An object or celestial body in orbit around the Earth or another planet.

Satellite

Show this visual after the videos to reinforce key scientific language.

Whipple shield

A shield that is made up of different layers to protect spacecraft from collisions.

Whipple shield

Show this visual after the videos to reinforce key scientific language.

Whipple shield layers

Show this visual after the videos and talk in more detail about the three layers of the protective Whipple shield.

Activities

Egg shield challenge

DESIGN and build egg shields by testing which materials offer the most protection from collisions.

Open detailed instructions

Other activity ideas

CREATE posters showing different solutions to the issue of space junk.
WRITE a story about what it would be like to live on the International Space Station.
INVESTIGATE forces and collisions using marbles and ramps.
RESEARCH the number of satellites launched each year, and why they are important to us.

Print this sheet

Egg shield challenge

Duration: 35 minutes

Resources:

A selection of materials, e.g. fabrics, bubble wrap, Styrofoam, paper, cardboard, sponge and aluminum foil
Scotch tape
A hard-boiled egg (in its shell)

Key Learning:

This activity challenges the students to prevent an egg from cracking when dropped from a height. This develops their understanding of protective materials that reduce the damage caused by a collision.

Activity instructions:

Tell the students they are going to investigate different materials by seeing how well they protect an egg.
To get the students thinking about protective materials, ask the following questions and discuss:
- Why are eggs sold in soft cardboard boxes?
- What are bike helmets made of?
- Are they made of different materials?
- Do they have different layers?
- If you were moving house, how would you pack the most fragile items?
Organize the students into groups and give each group a selection of materials.
Ask the groups to predict which materials they think will provide the best protection, and which they will provide the worst protection.
Give each group an egg and provide Scotch tape so they can create their two-layer “egg shield”.
Ask the groups to choose two materials to wrap around their egg, and explain why they chose each material.
Invite the groups to take it in turns to drop the eggs from a height of 2 meters.
Ask the groups to unwrap their eggs and inspect the damage.
Compare the results as a class. Encourage the students to explain their findings using the following questions:
- Were the eggs damaged?
- Did any eggs have no cracks?
- Which material provided the best protection?
- Which material provided the worst protection?
- Why do some materials provide better protection than others?

Background information

An orbit is the curved movement of one object around another, caused by gravitational force.
Earth’s gravity keeps the Moon and other satellites in orbit.
Pieces of space junk travel at speeds up to 28,000 km/h, which is fast enough for even tiny paint flecks to damage spacecraft or satellites.
We use satellites for lots of things, including communication, sat nav systems and satellite TV. Space junk could affect things that we take for granted.

Glossary

Space junk: Debris in orbit around the Earth.
Satellite: An object or celestial body in orbit around the Earth or another planet.
Whipple shield: A shield that is made up of different layers to protect spacecraft from collisions.

Space Junk

Teaching overview

Learning points

Part 1

Curriculum keywords

Learning points

Part 2

Spark a discussion

Multimedia toolbox

Litter

ISS clip

Space junk

Satellite

Whipple shield

Whipple shield layers

Activities

Egg shield challenge

Other activity ideas

Egg shield challenge

Resources:

Key Learning:

Activity instructions:

Background information

Glossary

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