Space Junk

" I think everything we do today. I mean you make a cell phone call you go on the Internet -- you GPS directions in your car it's done with the help of the satellite in space for that lifeline. Might be in danger that's because the space up there is getting too crowded with satellites and a whole lot of space junk. Collisions are more likely now the Pentagon's taking this seriously the military tracking hundreds of satellites for risk of collision. Is it too little too later the Pentagon on the something that you can't do professor -- Theoretical physics and the author of physics of the impossible with me here in New -- exercise you meet your there's your book and they are you in person that this. What that along with seven back in February there was a collision happened space never -- what below what you start taking this seriously what happened eight months ago."

" We were in denial before February 10 we felt we can live with 20000 pieces of space junk orbiting the -- But I'm on February 10 with a dead Russian satellite collided with the US in media and communications satellite. Knocking out the satellite -- a shower of debris at that point all the alarm bells went off from the Pentagon we've got to do something."

" Despite no one saw that coming right -- this is a graphic on screen that shows you where there are thousands. And thousands if not tens of thousands of -- and space junk. Floating throughout the -- but that's set up three alarm because no one saw it coming. That's right wanted to remember how they miss it."

" They -- they -- it was a dead Russian satellite we went tracking these things on a day to day basis that we basically forgot the flotation of the -- Now the Pentagon had said 800 satellites are gonna be monitored every single day. Leading up to 1300. Satellites by the end of the year and that's pretty much all the sidelines we have out there but space junk. 20000. Pieces of space junk everything from paint flags the screwdrivers. To. To cool bags to booster rocket parts mobile would happen if you get another collision I'd probably would you lose cell phone -- lose your computer ability. We -- long and loose fill lights and uses up that and I don't care if not you get -- a television the Internet Wall Street all the financial transactions that we get minute by minute. The Pentagon could not find war is you could not get on the Internet Wall Street could not make transactions without -- what you're saying is that without satellites we are blind. We be thrown back like eighty years into the past without the kind that telecommunications that we expect today eighty years yeah. -- It was a bad back then the full effect right there we're bombarded by technology what can the Pentagon do -- I if they see satellite that looks like get a collision course. Can they Alter its path. Well the -- 800 of these satellites are maneuverable so once we get tactic collision taking place there's enough gas inside the sound like to move it out of the way. But another 500 satellites are not maneuverable than just sitting -- out there in case of a problem. Long term we have a problem some people think maybe let's send a a cosmic vacuum cleaner and -- that. Vacuum up some of -- very practical. It'd be very expensive lot of rocket fuel zigzagging between pieces of debris other people say laser beam would shoot them. Dum -- modest -- little laser being we don't have a laser beam that can do that so these are ideas are their plans now at the present time. We've been in denial is busy doing nothing we are doing except monitoring them and moving them out of the way we see something and NASA worries because the space shuttle has already been hit. My new pieces of space to do not making me feel any better couldn't. Well it's an accident waiting to happen now at the time to do something about it. And and I hope that that this wake up call in the in the Pentagon is gonna alert people -- this is a problem that we have to really monitor. You know really monitors based on down to four inches from four inches and up. -- four inches we don't even Monica that there could be what could look into extra periods -- that well satellites travel 18000 miles per her. A collision like this who could comments you have hundreds of thousands of miles per hour and up appears the whole the space shuttle we used to think there was only space center in space. Apparently got so. Which you thank you. I think the good luck to you are right that's just keep you up at night. Is until I could just crossing your fingers and upload we'll get the words as night's accident waiting to happen we just crossing their fingers mintier thank you we'll see and actually time certain. Because he's always got something to say. Out of his best ideas right here America's Newsroom. Always glad to hear them."