Space Station Could Get Laser Cannon to Destroy Orbital Debris

SPACE.com ^ | May 18, 2015 08:31 AM ET // | by Charles Q. Choi,

[BenLurkin]

Now researchers suggest the Extreme Universe Space Observatory (EUSO), scheduled to be installed on Japan’s module on the space station in 2017, could help the orbiting complex detect dangerous debris. They add that a powerful laser under development could then help shoot down this space garbage.

“The EUSO telescope, which was originally designed to detect cosmic rays, could also be put to use for this useful project,” study lead author Toshikazu Ebisuzaki, an astrophysicist and chief scientist at the RIKEN (Rikagaku Kenky?sho) Computational Astrophysics Laboratory in Wako, Japan, told Space.com.

[9thLife]

to Destroy Orbital Debris

If you like your plan, you can keep your plan.

[Lazamataz]

Right! Because burning garbage will make it fall to Earth!

LOL

[2ndDivisionVet]

And by “orbital debris” we mean enemy craft.

[American Constitutionalist]

Are they talking about sewage, or metal objects ?

Shooting objects in orbit would be a bad idea unless you knew for sure it was not going to be a mess and cause danger if it impacts the space station.

Remember that movie with Sandura Bullock in space ?

[MaxMax]

I promise, that's all they'll use it for.

[FourtySeven]

What about sharks with lasers? I always kinda liked that idea. Isn’t that still on someone’s drawing board?

[martian622]

What could possibly go wrong?

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

The sharks with lasers project had to be scrapped but we do have some ill tempered sea bass ready to go.

[justlurking]

[justlurking]

The sharks with lasers project had to be scrapped but we do have some ill tempered sea bass ready to go.

[Sir Napsalot]

Hacker-proof, I presume?

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

And that is why it had to be scrapped. :)

[McGruff]

I don’t know, the Russians are getting pretty good at destroying rockets and satellites lately.

[GeronL]

[GeronL]

What could possibly go wrong??

[G Larry]

Big Mistake!

Especially when you remember we don’t have our own taxi service at the moment.

[spokeshave]

1St Astronaut to second....."hold my beer and watch this"

2nd Astronaut.....what you up to....

1st Astronaut....."I just laser scribed "Obama Sucks" on the White House lawn.......burnt up a few of Michelle's veggies also...

[Rio]

How about a big tennis racquet for the robot arm... strung with Kevlar strings, it would deflect the debris toward Earth.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

I wonder what they’ll power it with?