Re: Number of Observable Satellites

From: Allen Thomson (thomsona@flash.net)
Date: Thu May 23 2002 - 09:20:23 EDT

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    >                          Space Objects Box Score
    >
    > Source/Organization              Objects In Orbit       Decayed Objects
    >                               Payload Debris  Total  Payload Debris  Total
    > ------------------------------  -----  -----  -----    -----  -----  -----
    >
    >                                 -----  -----  -----    -----  -----  -----
    > Column Totals                    2876   6206   9082     2628  15704  18332
    
    
    Not that this has much to do with visually observable objects, but the
    "debris"
    category is very much "tracked debris."  Estimates of the total debris
    population > 1 cm in size run more than an order of magnitude higher, and
    there
    are many more < 1 cm.
    
    See, for example, http://apollo.cnuce.cnr.it/CODRM97/AAS98-173.html
    
    also www.navspace.navy.mil/factsheets/slep.htm which says,
    
    "Scientists estimate that lowering the space surveillance threshold to the
    5-centimeter
    size will expand the space object catalog to more than 100,000 items."
    
    
    
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