Trash or treasure? A lot of space debris is junk, but some is precious heritage

Random Thoughts

The Telstar 1 satellite inspired a chart-topping pop tune, the iconic black-and-white hexagonal Adidas soccer ball, and maybe even a Doctor Who creature, the Mecanoids.
National Physical Laboratory

Alice Gorman, Flinders University

Most of us will never have the opportunity to travel into space. But we can feel connected to it in other ways.

Above us right now, and every day, are extraordinary old satellites from the 1950s and 1960s, orbiting at speeds of 7-8 kilometres per second.

They’re part of our space heritage.

Deciding which parts of this heritage should stay, and which should be on a “hit list” for removal, is the tricky bit.

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Listen:Speaking with: Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield

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Cultural heritage is defined as “things from the past and present, worth preserving for present and future generations”.

In recent decades there has been a movement to recognise the heritage of the modern world, including the…

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