Observational Effects - Exploding Russian Rocket (26 Feb 07)

[RJ Emery]

By now, most Australians who wondered what had happened in the skies above them know it was an exploding Russian rocket stage. The debris field seems to include a gas cloud of spent fuel, no doubt expanding as it disperses.

I wonder how such a field affects astronomical observations, especially spectroscopy, and how long it would be before the effect would be negligible?

[b1_]

By now, most Australians who wondered what had happened in the skies above them know it was an exploding Russian rocket stage.

That's just what the government wants us to think. The NSA have put out the false story to avoid the planet's population decending into "mass panic". Better that we stay ignorant, they say.

It's actually an exploding space craft from the planet Zod which was attacked and destroyed by the Galactic Hegemony of Thlakaliki. Rebel scum! If only they'd thought to reverse the polarity they might have made it to their rebel stronghold in France.

[NoelC]

Anyone know the altitude of this expanding cloud of space debris?

If one follows the links toward the end of the caption in today's APOD, one might be led to believe this could bring the end of satellite deployment and space exploration as we know it, as the debris blows apart other satellites and space vehicles, and the effect cascades until there's virtually nothing left intact up there.

Notably the second link says "Fortunately at the most commonly used Low Earth Orbits residual air drag helps keep the zones clear. Altitudes under 300 miles will be swept clear in a matter of months.", hence my question.

-Noel

[iamlucky13]

I couldn't find the altitude. The rocket was initially in a 108 mile parking orbit. At some point after that, there was to be a series of three burns to raise the satellite to geosynchronous orbit. Somewhere in there the rocket failed to fire, still partially full of fuel, and the satellite was released from the booster (3rd stage, I believe). It was low enough that the satellite eventually re-entered.

The satellite operators would've tracked the satellite position, but presumably the booster just became another object in the orbital catalogue. The explosion was most likely caused by gradually solar heating increasing the pressure of the fuel remaining in the tanks until they ruptured. I doubt the density of the debris field is detrimental to astronomy for more than a couple days. It's probably just hydrazine. The space shuttle dumps spare hydrazine before re-entry for safety (it's toxic and very reactive), and no one seems concerned about that.

The links at the end of the APOD are rather pessimistic. There's no where near enough stuff up there at the moment for a "Kessler cascade" to be likely. I can't think of a single instance of significant damage occuring to a satellite attributed to orbital debris...just minor things like nicks on the space shuttle or solar panel degradation.