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Orbital Debris: a Chronology

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Orbital Debris: a Chronology NASA/TP-1999-208856 January 1999 Orbital Debris: A Chronology David S. F. Portree Joseph P. Loftus, Jr. The NASA STI Program Office . in Profile Since its founding, NASA has been dedicated to • CONFERENCE PUBLICATION. Collected the advancement of aeronautics and space papers from scientific and technical science. The NASA Scientific and Technical conferences, symposia, seminars, or other Information (STI) Program Office plays a key part meetings sponsored or cosponsored by in helping NASA maintain this important role. NASA. The NASA STI Program Office is operated by • SPECIAL PUBLICATION. Scientific, Langley Research Center, the lead center for technical, or historical information from NASA’s scientific and technical information. NASA programs, projects, and mission, often The NASA STI Program Office provides access concerned with subjects having substantial to the NASA STI Database, the largest collection public interest. of aeronautical and space science STI in the world. The Program Office is also NASA’s • TECHNICAL TRANSLATION. institutional mechanism for disseminating the English-language translations of foreign results of its research and development activities. scientific and technical material pertinent to These results are published by NASA in the NASA’s mission. NASA STI Report Series, which includes the following report types: Specialized services that complement the STI Program Office’s diverse offerings include • TECHNICAL PUBLICATION. Reports of creating custom thesauri, building customized completed research or a major significant databases, organizing and publishing research phase of research that present the results of results . even providing videos. NASA programs and include extensive data or theoretical analysis. Includes compilations For more information about the NASA STI of significant scientific and technical data and Program Office, see the following: information deemed to be of continuing reference value. NASA’s counterpart of peer- • Access the NASA STI Program Home Page at reviewed formal professional papers but has http://www.sti.nasa.gov less stringent limitations on manuscript length and extent of graphic presentations. • E-mail your question via the Internet to [email protected] • TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM. Scientific and technical findings that are preliminary or • Fax your question to the NASA Access Help of specialized interest, e.g., quick release Desk at (301) 621-0134 reports, working papers, and bibliographies that contain minimal annotation. Does not • Telephone the NASA Access Help Desk at contain extensive analysis. (301) 621-0390 • CONTRACTOR REPORT. Scientific and • Write to: technical findings by NASA-sponsored NASA Access Help Desk contractors and grantees. NASA Center for AeroSpace Information 7121 Standard Hanover, MD 21076-1320 NASA/TP-1999-208856 January 1999 Orbital Debris: A Chronology David S. F. Portree Houston, Texas Joseph P. Loftus, Jr Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas David S. F. Portree is a freelance writer working in Houston, Texas ii Contents List of Figures ................................................................................................................ iv Preface ........................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................... vii Acronyms and Abbreviations ........................................................................................ ix The Chronology ............................................................................................................. 1 1961 ......................................................................................................................... 4 1962 ......................................................................................................................... 5 1963 ......................................................................................................................... 5 1964 ......................................................................................................................... 6 1965 ......................................................................................................................... 6 1966 ......................................................................................................................... 7 1967 ......................................................................................................................... 8 1968 ......................................................................................................................... 9 1969 ......................................................................................................................... 10 1970 ......................................................................................................................... 10 1971 ......................................................................................................................... 11 1972 ......................................................................................................................... 14 1973 ......................................................................................................................... 17 1974 ......................................................................................................................... 18 1975 ......................................................................................................................... 19 1976 ......................................................................................................................... 21 1977 ......................................................................................................................... 23 1978 ......................................................................................................................... 25 1979 ......................................................................................................................... 27 1980 ......................................................................................................................... 31 1981 ......................................................................................................................... 33 1982 ......................................................................................................................... 36 1983 ......................................................................................................................... 41 1984 ......................................................................................................................... 43 1985 ......................................................................................................................... 45 1986 ......................................................................................................................... 48 1987 ......................................................................................................................... 52 1988 ......................................................................................................................... 55 1989 ......................................................................................................................... 59 1990 ......................................................................................................................... 63 1991 ......................................................................................................................... 70 1992 ......................................................................................................................... 77 1993 ......................................................................................................................... 89 1994 ......................................................................................................................... 98 1995 ......................................................................................................................... 103 1996 ......................................................................................................................... 111 1997 ......................................................................................................................... 121 1998 ......................................................................................................................... 137 Appendix 1 .................................................................................................................... 139 Appendix 2 .................................................................................................................... 142 Index ............................................................................................................................. 149 iii List of Figures Figure Page 1. Rate that a Catalogued Object is Expected to Pass within 100 yards of an Orbiting Spacecraft. .................................................... 2 2. Number of Objects in Low Earth Orbit as Estimated by Various Measurements. .............................................................................. 3 3. Gabbard diagram.............................................................................................. 13 4. Whipple Bumper. ............................................................................................
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