Tracking Outer Space Debris

Every year satellites are damaged or destroyed by objects orbiting the Earth's atmosphere. An Australian company is now using the latest laser technology to track these objects in order to reduce cosmic damage.

Li Dong has the details.

Even in space, collisions can't be avoided.

An increasing amount of floating debris, known as space junk, poses a real threat to fragile satellites and equipment orbiting the earth.

Space junk can range from a fleck of paint to a full-size rocket booster, both of which can cause serious impact damage or even punctures.

An Australian company, Electro Optic Systems or EOS, recently secured a 3 million US dollar contract to track these rogue objects and save the country's valuable space assets using state of the art laser technology.

This laser technology can track an object as small as a fingernail.

The debris can be pinpointed and monitored, allowing space shuttles and satellites to be maneuvered out of harm's way.

Ben Greene is the CEO of Electro Optic Systems. Greene says that winning the contract is a big achievement for the Stromlo Observatory:

"This contract is actually the last step in transitioning the technology to a full operational capability."

Greene says the technology will also ensure satellites waste less fuel when there's a false alarm.

"If we can reduce the number of maneuvers that a satellite is making by 70 percent, by giving much more accurate debris tracking, then we have a 70 percent improvement in terms of the lifetime of the satellite."

Objects in space are currently tracked using radar technology.

Positional readings can be between 20 meters and two kilometers, unlike the laser surveillance system, which is said to be able to track debris within one point five meters of its actual position.

Such accuracy is vital. Two years ago, incorrect data led to a collision between a US communications satellite and Russian space junk.

With calls for a space clean-up mounting on the international scene, EOS hopes its laser-tracking project will attract worldwide attention.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.