How a Space Mirror Could Deal With Orbital Debris and the Threat of an Asteroid Strike

Photo by Renden Yoder on Unsplash

On August 20, 2075, in Kalispell, Wyoming, a young amateur astronomer is drinking ice tea to cool his thoughts about the 103 degrees F. outside his window at 9:30 in the evening. Climate change is relentless. Harold thinks this is fairly normal weather. It’s been nearly this hot most of his adult life. 

Checking the laptop hooked to the homemade telescope in the plastic bubble on top of the house, he inputs values into a program and runs it. He runs it again. And again. He shows the results to several astronomer friends by email. They check it and verify the output. Soon thereafter, the world goes crazy. 

Something happened to asteroid 2005 YU55. It was supposed to come within 237,000 miles of Earth on November 8, 2075. Now it is on a collision course. Some other asteroid came close to or bumped 2005 YU55 and slightly changed its direction. NASA has known for weeks but not released the information for fear of mass panic. The amateur astronomers have forced the issue, and NASA holds a press conference. 

The head of NASA explains the situation is not as dire as it would have been just five years ago because of Project Drogon. Everybody knows about the large, focusing mirror in orbit because it has been efficiently vaporizing space debris cluttering orbital lanes near Earth for several years. Few gave thought to its second purpose until now. It’s shiny discs have been re-focused on 2005 YU55, and it is currently engraving an ablation trench in a spiral pattern as the asteroid sedately rotates every nineteen hours. The mirror is in an orbit that keeps it in sunlight 24 hours a day. 

Not meant to cut the asteroid in pieces, the focused power of the mirror explosively evaporates the surface material it comes in contact with. This creates, in effect, a thruster on one side of 2005 YU55, gradually changing its course. The Earth is saved, and the young astronomer is made the new head of NASA. Well … yes, the story does kind of break down there. That would not normally happen in real life, but the description of a focusing mirror is not so hard to believe. We have the technology. 

Imagine a mirror array with six circular pads in a circular array and one in the middle. Each pad is about 27 feet in diameter, made up of 120 flat panels per pad. Each panel is 2.25 feet square. Each panel is driven by a precision servomotor. With a total of 4,200 square feet, the mirror could concentrate 530,670 watts of power onto an area 2.25 feet by 2.25 feet. This is enough to vaporize most forms of matter. Note: Sun’s energy in space is 126.35 watts per square foot. 

Drawing by Glen Hendrix in AutoCad. Click to enlarge.

The entire mirror is aligned with its target using a system similar to that of the Hubble telescope. Six gyroscopes and four reaction wheels can target the mirror to within .007 arcseconds. Let’s use 2005 YU55 as an example to show what that means. Let’s say we start beaming concentrated sunlight to 2005 YU55 when it is a hundred million miles from Earth, 400 times further than the Moon, about 38 days away. This accuracy guarantees the beam will hit within 40 feet of where it’s pointed. Since 2005 YU55 is about 1300 feet in diameter, it is a pretty sure thing it will be hit. The space mirror’s software will automatically track the asteroid on its path through space. 

Drawing by Glen Hendrix in AutoCad. Click to enlarge.

To aim at objects beyond the orbit of Earth will require a reflector mirror about the size of the focusing mirror. It is much simpler, being a large, flat mirror that reflects the sun’s rays back to the focusing mirror when it’s pointed away from the Sun so that it can do its job. It will also need gyroscopes and reaction wheels as well as a suite of thrusters to position it. The whole thing could be lifted into orbit on a couple of Big Falcon Rocket trips with some assembly required, batteries included.  

Drawing by Glen Hendrix in AutoCad. Click to enlarge.

The space mirror may be particularly adept at getting rid of that modern day scourge—space debris. The modularity of this design would allow a killing field to be set up for approaching debris, an invisible tunnel of dense solar energy. The idea would be to completely vaporize debris, turning it into a spreading gas cloud without the inertia to be harmful. 

Astronauts working on reaction wheels of Hubble. Courtesy NASA.

Another application could be the smelting of ores in space. Nickel and iron from asteroids can be turned to steel. Ore from the Moon can be processed into aluminum. Off-world mining and other heat intense manufacturing processes will not be able to advance without this type of ancillary tool. 

Mirrors in space might come in very handy for diverting asteroids, mining asteroids, smelting metals, terraforming Mars, vaporizing space debris, and paving small areas of  the Moon with glass. Putting large mirrors in space, however, may have adverse political consequences for whatever nation or corporation that tries it. The main fear will come from those that don’t have a similar device in orbit worried that it could be used as a weapon. It would be possible to burn a hole in some other country’s spy satellite, start multiple fires in forests and brush lands, heat gas and oil lines until they rupture and burn, put a hole in a ship’s hull in the middle of the ocean, and on and on. Concerned parties would be looking at ways to guarantee the safe use of such tools, and they would have a legal basis for protest. One of the guiding principles of the Outer Space Treaty is “States shall not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies or station them in outer space in any other manner; ....”   

Perhaps the United Nations will evolve to have its own space force, like Trump has proposed for the United States. Trained members of this elite task force will go into space along with worker astronauts to check out the control software of space-based mirrors, their focusing capabilities, their accuracy in aiming and maintaining that target, and all the other things that could turn such a dangerous machine into a weapon. Space Marshall U.N.! It will make a great TV series. Maybe the fiction has to come before the fact as it has with so many such ideas in the past. 

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Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS): The Existential Technology We Are Ignoring

Photo by Cata on Unsplash

Our modern lives insulate us from and make us forget a knowledge that came simply and unforgettably to our hunter-gatherer forebears. That is the discrimination between needs and desires. We don’t need smartphones, automobiles, TV, indoor plumbing, granite countertops, Nikes, non-fat lattes with caramel drizzles, YouTube, scented candles, or video games. We do need food, air, water, a modicum of shelter, and a proper temperature range in which our species can exist. The last was a given until recently. That’s why there’s no life on Mars or Venus—too cold, too hot. The fact that temperatures go up in lockstep with CO2 levels now makes CO2 capture and sequestration mandatory to provide us with one of our necessities, a livable temperature range. 

If you want to make a lot of money, figure out a cheap way to remove CO2 from the atmosphere and stash it somewhere for several hundred years or forever. Everyone will thank you and shower you with cash. Ahahaha! That’s not true, but it should be true. Unfortunately, Trump is gutting U.S. funding for research in this area. That leaves the Chinese as the world leader for this technology. At the rate CO2 levels are increasing, we may end up renting the technology from them. Ironic, since they probably stole the idea from us to begin with. 

Since energy companies revealed they are spending 5 trillion dollars over the next decade for fossil fuel exploration, it is a foregone conclusion that CO2 capture and sequestration (CCS) will be a technology of existential necessity.  The fossil fuel industry has an enormous cache of wealth acquired at the expense of the Earth’s climate. They are going to use that wealth to continue doing what they do by gaming the legalized bribery system at the heart of many of America’s problems—lobbying. The energy companies plan to sell combustibles until fossil fuels are gone, they are too expensive to extract at a profit, or their client base has plummeted due to “natural causes.” 

We are currently at 413 ppm CO2. We are on track to hit 550 ppm by end of century. This will raise average temps 10.8 degrees Fahrenheit.  At some point in the next century, if we keep going at our current rate, we could see 700 to 900 ppm CO2, something not seen since the Eocene some 50 million years ago. Temperatures were up to 25 degrees Fahrenheit higher on average. There was no ice at the poles, but probably alligators and palm trees in Antartica. 

Looking at past geological records, it appears there is a lag time of one to four centuries for sea levels to catch up to rapid changes in CO2 levels. None have been as rapid as the last 200 years. We know that sea levels were a hundred feet higher during the Miocene, 15 million years ago, when CO2 levels were similar to what we have now. The reason we don’t see that large increase in sea levels or the 11 degrees F. higher temperature yet is because of the buffer provided by our still-cool, deep ocean waters. Ninety percent of the ocean is between 32 and 37.5 degrees Fahrenheit. But over the next couple of centuries we will see increasingly rapid elevations in sea levels and temperature. 

If we burn the rest of our fossil fuels scientists estimate atmospheric CO2 levels could rise to 1000–5000 ppm. If it is toward the upper limits of this estimate, it is debatable whether life will continue as we know it on Earth. Before we get there fossil fuel companies will, hopefully, realize they could lose their customers and, therefore, make some changes. These same scientists say just 450 ppm will be disastrous. It is a certainty we will reach that. With uncontrolled fossil fuel use and no capture and sequestration, CO2 levels will easily blow past 500 ppm; and our civilization could collapse under the strain of drought, food chain disruption, defrosted pathogens, resource wars, heat prostration, and tropical diseases. 

That is where CCS comes in. Various means of scrubbing CO2 from the air have been developed. It is then used for making lubricating oil and putting the fizz in soda water. Those are pretty small markets for the amount of CO2 we need to eliminate. Plus, who is going to pay for it on the industrial scale that is required. It would be ideal for those responsible for the CO2 in the first place to pay for capture and sequestration by implementing a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade scheme. Otherwise, we are simply paying to clean up the energy companies’ mess which, in the end, may not be out of the realm of possibilities.

In the past it was thought that CO2 capture would have to take place at those industries where it is produced—chemical, power, concrete, steel, and fertilizer plants. Then it would be pumped somewhere to be injected into the ground. This is very expensive and unlikely to be adopted. 

A recently developed CCS technology allows carbon to be extracted directly from the air. Not oddly at all, it is called Direct Air Capture (DAC). With current technology it may be possible to get this down to about $100 dollars per ton. It needs to be ten times less expensive ($10 to $20 per ton) not to be a drag on the economy. This is the only technology that can realize a carbon negative offset. In other words, it could remove more carbon than is produced by mankind and nature to reduce overall levels in the atmosphere. The only alternative coming close is massive reforestation and afforestation. These have their own sets of problems and need funding to iron out the bugs. 

The problem is money. No one except a few universities and Bill Gates are spending money in the U.S. to develop this technology. It is not enough that we strip carbon out of the atmosphere. It must be put in a stable environment or condition and left there for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Turn it back into limestone? Make CO2-foamed concrete? Make plastic to feed our 3D printers? Plant all available land with trees? I don’t know. That is why we need some smart people working on this right away.

Environmentalists are in a moral tug of war about CO2 capture and sequestration. Some believe it will give the fossil fuel companies an incentive to keep on doing what they are doing. That ship has sailed. We cannot be picky now about how carbon is removed from the atmosphere. It is all good, but CCS offers at least the possibility to reverse the levels of carbon in the atmosphere, staving off the worst of global warning until the climate stabilizes at a reasonable temperature—one of the basic needs that will allow us to keep on drinking non-fat lattes with caramel drizzles. 

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Just What Are NASA’s Plans Under Trump?

Jovian clouds. Courtesy NASA

At the behest of President Donald Trump’s Space Policy Directive 1, NASA is planning a more hands-on advance into space called the National Space Exploration Campaign. That will include human hands returning to the Moon. Hopefully, by the time he finds out there is no golf course involved, NASA will be too far along to cancel the campaign. 

Astronauts on the Moon. 

“The directive I am signing today will refocus America’s space program on human exploration and discovery,” said President Trump. “It marks a first step in returning American astronauts to the Moon for the first time since 1972, for long-term exploration and use. This time, we will not only plant our flag and leave our footprints -- we will establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars, and perhaps someday, to many worlds beyond.” 

Mars base. Courtesy NASA.

A lot of people disagree with the President about going back to the Moon. Some, Elon Musk included, think we should go to Mars first. The Donald’s reasoning, semi-joking about the golf course, probably does not involve harvesting helium-3 or turning the Moon into the first intra-solar system gas station by electrolyzing Moon water into hydrogen and oxygen. It probably has something more to do with national prestige on the world stage. The helium-3, should we ever get fusion to work, and the water thing are much better reasons. Whatever works. Even a blind pig finds an acorn now and then. 

Space Policy Directive 2 streamlines the regulations and licensing for commercial space companies, forming a one-stop shopping place for a single license to cover commercial space exploration and exploitation by any corporation.

Use those plastic grocery bags again. Save money. Save the world. Here’s how. 

Space Policy Directive 3 is the administration’s attempt to make information about space debris more accessible by allowing the Department of Commerce to take over part of the responsibilities of tracking and charting the thousands of pieces of space debris and letting the info get into the hands of commercial entities that need it. An addendum, so to speak, of Directive 3 was President Trump’s call for a “Space Force”. 

These directives have coalesced into a campaign by NASA with goals corresponding to these directives. 

Jupiter - courtesy NASA.

The National Space Exploration Campaign has five strategic goals:

1. Transition U.S. human spaceflight activities in low-Earth orbit  to commercial operations that support NASA and the needs of an emerging private sector market.
2. Lead the emplacement of capabilities that support lunar surface operations and facilitate missions beyond cislunar space.
3. Foster scientific discovery and characterization of lunar resources through a series of robotic missions.
4. Return U.S. astronauts to the surface of the Moon for a sustained campaign of exploration and use.
5. Demonstrate the capabilities required for human missions to Mars and other destinations.

These directives and campaigns seem, on the surface, to be a positive for the space program. What needs to be watched is whether good science projects are being scrapped to make budget room for spectacular stunts, like men on the Moon … again. If we do wind up with people on the Moon, let’s hope it is for much longer periods so worthwhile scientific studies can be made that will help out in the journey to Mars. 

One of the tactical goals for NASA is to have a Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway (LOP-G) permanently stationed in orbit around the Moon. Like a mini-ISS, it will house personnel, equipment, and experiments. It will serve as a base camp to the Moon’s surface and a service station to missions beyond the Earth-Moon envelope. This used to be the Deep Space Gateway under Obama, but Trump couldn't stand it that there was a program under Obama that he actually agreed with, so the name was changed. The name is now so awkward there may be another renaming. 

LOP-G Lunar Orbital Platform - Gateway. A space station for the Moon.

Parts for the LOP-G are already being fabricated all over the world. These will be launched into space using NASA’s Space Launch System or, possibly SpaceX’s Big Falcon Rocket and ferried to the Moon aboard something like a Orion, the BFR Spaceship, or a logistics module that NASA has recently signaled it needs designs for from private industry. Once in orbit around the Moon, the pieces will be assembled to form the LOP-G. 

From the LOP-G, small landers will go to the Moon’s surface and explore for minerals, metals, and water. Moon Express is a company developing new lunar landers to facilitate this push to go back to the Moon. If what they find is favorable, it may not be long before astronauts in habitats are camping out on the Moon. It may turn out to be the golden age of manned spaceflight. With the quickening pace of AI development, it will soon make more sense, even to politicians, to leave the heavy lifting of space exploration in the hands of more capable machines. 

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The Cargo Cult of Wealth

Melanesian Cargo Cult Worship Object

Dennis Hof is a 71 year old winner of the Republican nominee for a state assembly seat in Nevada. He also owns seven brothels. He was backed by Christian evangelicals because “… he is a wealthy businessman and can’t be bought ….”

This is a very similar belief to much of President Donald Trump’s voter base. He’s already wealthy. He can’t be influenced. He’ll drain the swamp of career politicians sucking at the teat of government udders filled with our money. Not.

I’ve noticed many of my friends that voted Republican over the years did so because they thought rich people knew more and were more capable. These were people barely getting by, dependent on government programs instituted mainly by Democrats. They voted against their pocket books because of this entrenched belief in the infallibility of the wealthy.

It costs $4000 to recycle ton of plastic bags worth $500 on open market. 

Like the cargo cults of Melanesia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many people feel that paying homage to aspects of wealth will somehow make them wealthy.

The wealthy don’t dissuade this line of thinking. They encourage it. Now that they have direct access to news channels, they spew this idea constantly on TV, radio, and the internet. They would have us believe trickle down economics is real and they are the engines of employment so long as the government doesn’t take their money.

Many wealthy people are nice people, but many wealthy people in the cafeteria of life have ordered up a helping of power to go along with their wealth. Many find it much more tasty than wealth alone and are willing to give up a portion of their wealth for a hefty second helping of power. It doesn’t help that a much greater percentage of these people are afflicted with personality disorders such as psychopathy, narcissism, and egomania than the general population. Unfortunately, at this point in our history, there is a surfeit of such people in charge of the country. As proof of that, where is the stringent psychological testing that should be a requirement of holding high positions of government such as a senator, congressman, or the President? Non-existent.

Don’t you have to be really smart to be wealthy? That’s what the wealthy would have you believe, discounting the luck that propelled nearly everyone of them to their lofty positions. Look at Donald Trump for example. He was lucky enough to be born into wealth. He took that million dollars from his dad and, along with his savant-like penchant for lying and bullying, turned that into a fortune in the real estate business. Is that really someone to look up to?

Paper bag manufacturing takes 5 X more water & emits 3 X more greenhouse & acid gasses than plastic bags.

It’s okay to be wealthy. It’s America, for God’s sake. When you select the people that run our government, however, look past the wealth. See what they’ve been up to in the past. Questionable? Unsavory? Ignore their rhetoric. They are not out to serve the American public. They are in a bid for that extra helping of power to go with their wealth. If there is any group of people that should not have power, it is those that desire it. Vote for someone else and help disband the cargo cult of wealth afflicting our country.