Elon Musk Can Get Rid Of Space Junk With His Starship
JAKARTA - Space debris has long been a serious problem. Not infrequently the debris hit a rocket that was on a mission. However, it looks like SpaceX CEO Elon Musk now has a solution.
Musk said SpaceX could fly through space while collecting space debris with his upcoming Starship craft.
Quoted from The Independent, Wednesday 7 July, he made that statement when asked by one of his followers on Twitter, did he have any ideas for collecting space junk to destroy? Then, Musk replied, "Yes, we can fly the Starship around space and collect debris with a moving fairing door," Musk explained.
The fairing door is a large flap that will cover any cargo the Starship takes into space, open for ejection when it reaches the required orbit, and then close again before the spacecraft's return journey to Earth.
Starship is at the center of many of SpaceX's goals, and continues to grow. Musk hopes to use it to take people to space, the Moon and beyond. The company has also carried out a number of tests that are often spectacular news.
Unfortunately, Musk's remarks come at the same time that SpaceX and other space companies are facing criticism because their activities are also causing the appearance of space debris. The debris can block the view of the sky and pose a threat when there is activity in orbit.
Many experts have warned that the increasing number of satellites and other material above Earth could lead to a serious collision.
For example, its Starlink space internet satellite has also faced criticism and risk from the increasing number of satellites they use to share the sky.
The company has been attacked by astronomers who argue that they are blocking the view of the sky, and has been forced to change orbits to avoid the risk of a collision.
But with Musk's statement on Twitter, the company can also help fix that problem, using its Starship to pick up trash from the sky.
Unfortunately, Musk did not provide further information about plans to use Starship to eradicate space junk, including whether SpaceX is serious about working on such a solution.