#earthorbit — Public Fediverse posts

Today is the 69th anniversary of the Pascal B test, a part of the series of nuclear tests called “Operation Plumbbob”.

Pascal B is famous for the fact that in it, the exploding bomb accelerated a 900 kg steel plate to a speed that might have been enough to let it reach Earth's orbit (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Plumbbob#Missing_steel_bore_cap). The speed was estimated to “six times the escape velocity of Earth” or 67 km/s, but the quality of this estimate is disputed. On the other hand, the plate had such a velocity that a high-speed camera, taking one frame per millisecond, only captured the plate in a single frame. It is also disputed whether the steel plate could reach orbit without being vaporized in Earth's atmosphere.

Nevertheless, if the plate did not reach Earth's orbit, then the makers of Pascal B had instead created the first (and only) artificial reverse meteorite.

#PascalB #OperationPlumbbob #NuclearTest #Meteorites #EscapeVelocity #EarthOrbit

Is that all? Only ~1 Ton per week?

Last year, the U.S. Space Force issued alerts for nearly 820 objects entering the Earth’s atmosphere.

“Re-entries happen each and every day,” "Huge objects weighing a metric ton or more arrive about once a week" according the space collision experts.

While much of the debris incinerates in the atmosphere or splashes into the Pacific, but when it does not - it can land anywhere and on one can predict where.

SpaceX indicates ~5% of the mass of some of its satellites may not disintegrate when they "de-orbit". https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/31/world/asia/space-debris-falling-crashing-earth-risk.html?unlocked_article_code=1.11A.WhlN.uAdqod1FWRBC

I wrote about Satellite Collision Avoidance systems here: https://techaptitude.substack.com/p/satellite-collision-avoidance-technology

#Space #SpaceJunk #SpaceDebris #EarthOrbit #LEO #LowEarthOrbit #SSA #SpaceSituationalAwareness #Satellites #Deorbit #FCC #Regulations

Extended capability electric propulsion coming soon to a Satellite near you soon - thanks to China!

China successfully demonstrated a new 750-newton Hall-effect thruster (electric propulsion) surpassing the performance of all comparable preceding systems.

The engine powered Experiment Satellite 26A from its initial transfer orbit to geostationary orbit through five orbit-raising manoeuvres, firing for a cumulative 11,617 seconds (approximately 3.2 hours) during its maiden mission.

The engine, which was designed to run for nearly 10 hours, operated continuously for more than 14 hours during testing.

In contrast, the leading US-made R-42DM and Europe’s Leros-1B, are designed to operate for about seven hours. https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/china-satellite-engine-new-global-record #Space #China #Satellite #ElectricPropulsion #ElecticEngine #Hall_Effect_Thrusters #EarthOrbit #SpaceCraft #GeostationaryOrbit