| Description |
1 online resource (streaming video file) (51 min. 39 sec.) ; 299150973 bytes |
| Summary |
This documentary investigates the threat from space junk and joins the scientists and engineers searching for ways to clean up the debris. Space is getting crowded. And it's piling up with junk every time we launch a satellite. But as this documentary discovers, this isn't like Earth-bound debris - it's travelling at speeds up to 17,000 mph. And that makes it extremely dangerous, not just for the astronauts living and working in space but also for modern life on Earth.For the first time ever, this documentary tests just how dangerous this high-speed debris is by firing a tiny microscopic steel ball at the visor of an astronaut's space helmet. With up to 10 million pieces of junk in low-Earth orbit a leading scientist is predicting that an astronaut on a spacewalk will be struck by something in the next decade.Horizon investigates the most promising proposals; from the British plan to harpoon defunct satellites to the European attempts to build a prototype robot arm to grab the most dangerous pieces of debris. But will it be enough to reduce the chances of a gravity-style disaster? (From the UK) (Documentary) G CCFollow the conversation on twitter: #SBSDoco |
| Notes |
Closed captioning in English |
| Event |
Broadcast 2015-12-28 at 19:35:00 |
| Notes |
Classification: G |
| Subject |
Manned space flight -- Systems engineering.
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Space debris -- Environmental aspects.
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Space stations -- Economic aspects.
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Space surveillance.
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Astronautics -- Accidents.
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Earth (Planet)
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| Form |
Streaming video
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| Author |
Stewart, David, director
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McCory, Helen, contributor
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