NOTE...2.13.10..."COLLISIONAL CASCADING"
The official 'worst case' scenario describing potential satellite collisions in space is called 'Collisional Cascading'.
The fact that there is a term for the scenario should provide insight into the seriousness of this situation.
THE GLOBAL TELECOM CRISIS...
As we move toward Globalization, Satellite Telecommunication becomes increasingly essential.
Everything from the transfer of money to the flow of goods requires instant electronic connection via Telecommunications.
A successful Global Economy is totally reliant upon Telecom.
We have allowed ourselves to become as dependent on Telecom as we are on Petro Chemicals, before we even knew it was happening.
And, while we weren’t paying attention, the new Lifeblood of Humanity fell under the control of very few, who would have us believe they are ‘the only game in town’.
In the case of Petro Chemical addiction, what began by utilizing an abundant natural resource in the quest to remove drudgery and improve quality of existence has taken us from dependency and abuse to fouling and endangering our very niche on planet Earth.
It took about fifty years to realize and acknowledge our Petro Chemical dependency and its potential for disaster, because we chose to ignore early warnings and let the marketplace determine direction.
As usual, we went too far.
Our urge for more, better, faster and faster led to blind acceptance based purely on market driven, widely perceived need.
The ‘Petro Pusher Man’ has led us to the current crisis situation.
One positive thing that has come from this is our newfound Environmental Awareness.
Admittedly, it’s after the fact, with Pandora’s Box opened, and the cat out of the bag, but something good can come from this awakening.
My hope is that the New Awareness will develop into recognition of Near Space as part of our Environment.
Picture the situation in Near Space fifty years from today.
The orbiting Satellites, which maintain the flow of everything, are all located in the region known as Near Space, within a few hundred miles of Earth’s surface.
If Earth were an egg, this distance would be less than the thickness of the albumen layer inside the eggshell.
You know the papery thin film that sticks while peeling a hard-boiled egg.
Think about a few hundred miles on Earth.
For example, the distance from Boston to New York City is about 250 miles.
Many Telecommunications Satellites operate at this altitude.
Near Space has definitely become an important part of our Environment, and it is quickly becoming another example of refusing to see what’s right in front of our eyes in favor of easy, convenient, and readily available.
It won’t be long before Space Junk fouls our newly extended Environment.
Just as we begin to realize and acknowledge our total dependence on Telecom, ‘the only game in town’, we will start hearing about emergency replacement agendas pitched by speculators and price gougers.
Soon, Telecom hypesters will begin inundating the media with the same fear driven power mongering used by those controlling the Petro Chemical Game.
The same conflicting emotions, confusion, and economic pressure we are experiencing from our Petro Chemical addiction will apply to Telecom.
And the ‘Pusher Man’ is smarter now than ever before.
This time, we are really hooked.
GAIA TWO presents a solution.
Start by picturing Near Space as the Shoreline of Outer Space.
Now, think of how we treated Earth’s Shoreline before catching on that we had fouled our own nest.
Garbage was swept out of sight and out of mind by streams, rivers, tides, and Ocean currents until our presence became overbearing and the stench caught up with us.
If we continue on this same path in Near Space, consequences will not come as a slow, stinky, wake-up call.
One day, Global Commerce will be interrupted, and the reality of ignoring Space Junk will hit us like a sledge hammer to the temple.
The reminder won’t be plastic diapers and hypodermic needles washed up on some previously pristine beach.
It will be thousands of Telecomsats and their attendant debris ping-ponging through Near Space.
Even if we escape physical damage from blazing satellite chunks, the ensuing economic chaos will prove catastrophic.
Without foresight, the only solution will be to launch replacement satellites.
Guess what happens then.
The situation in Near Space will go from ping-pong to chain reaction as more and more junk is hastily tossed into the already critical mix.
Uncertainty will halt trading, causing Global Money Markets to crash.
OK, maybe that’s a little far-fetched, and certainly not an immediate problem.
Or, is it?
Telecom Rules!
The instant there is doubt about Telecom’s reliability in time of Financial Crisis, crisis will surely ensue.
I propose that the system is inherently unreliable, and immediate consideration should be given to pre-empting any possibility of a Global Telecom Crisis.
Here’s how we can do just that.
GAIA TWO will Fall into Space, skipping off on a compressed air fueled tangent, and return to Earth with no blazing re-entry.
Launch and recovery take place on the Ocean, from a wind and solar powered vessel.
The launch vehicle is the satellite.
While in service, GAIA TWO is self-sustaining with all systems safely contained in the hull.
A single vehicle replaces several individual satellites, provides Humanity with an enormous boost, and when the mission is completed, returns to Earth without leaving a trace.
From launch to recovery, this vehicle performs as advertised, and produces zero Space Debris.
GAIA TWO can be constructed using existing technology.
As needs change, New Tech will spring up to accommodate need.
Conventional views about Space Exploration and Development go out the window once GAIA TWO begins to show what can be done by flying in the face of prevailing wisdom.
A concept as revolutionary as GAIA TWO requires public demand to get the attention of those currently in power.
For the first time in Human History, we can clearly foresee a future problem, and resolve it before things get out of hand.
And, at the same time, create new and exciting economic prospects everywhere on Earth.
Globalization or Bust!
GAIA TWO will get us through.
GUARANTEED!
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