KiTE: Make your own bookmarks

JPG suitable for printing. Right-click and Save Image as…Enough KiTE bookmarks to last you a lifetime. If you live longer then just print another one. KiTE is a novel set in Earth orbit starring Mason Dash, operator of Kite, Janet Dash, his genius AI researcher wife and Sheila, his beautiful virtual assistant. More information here.

Kite bookmark sheet

Space sails to combat fight future debris

Here’s a team in the UK with a technique for clearing space debris. It’s not meant to clean up existing junk; but when deployed at the end of the orbital life of a new structure this CubeSail will provide drag  in the micro-atmosphere of Low Earth Orbit and hasten and control its descent.

But a good idea for a business.  They may sell a lot of space sail.

Cringely’s Earth Orbit Scow

Renowned technology writer RobertX. Cringely posts about space trash, recognizing it as an additional barrier to spaceward movement. Why leave this manmade hurdle in our path to the stars. He  proposes a vessel that has much in common with Kite.

For as a fictional platform our beloved Kite has much more potential for adventure, and it would seem that robotic sweepers are a natural. but if Earth-bound street sweepers still require crew, would it be wise to leave an expensive space utility vehicle unattended? Yes, life support adds significantly to cost  but it could be worth it to have a capable human on hand in pinch?

In any case it, Cringely’s is the closest to a proposed solution we’ve seen outside of a certain sci-fi novel. The tide against space junk had turned. The motion for Earth orbit debris sweepers has been moved and seconded. It has entered the culture.

Space Shuttle Forced to Dodge Debris

Space Shuttle Discovery from the International Space Station (NASA)

Space Shuttle Discovery had to dodge a “mysterious” hunk of space junk while it prepared for reentry, now slated for this evening at about 7:35 PM EDT.

Here’s the Space.com report.

On the NASA Space Shuttle news page the guess is that the chunk is from one of their own space walks earlier in the mission.

And weather forced a wave-off the first landing try.