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JonesoftheNorth t1_jacgjp1 wrote

Could space junk be repurposed/recycled in space to help build bases?

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theexile14 t1_jacroly wrote

Maybe? Some older intact satellites may be of some value with more reliable in orbit servicing. Outside of those though, not so much. There's little infrastructure to recycle parts, and the cost of doing so would greatly exceed launch costs.

The short and medium term path needs to be developing infrastructure to keep orbit cleaner (deorbiting and refueling old sats).

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JonesoftheNorth t1_jacsvuw wrote

Ya, the straight-up melting of metals, etc, would be hard, I get it. Perhaps the components of the orbiting devices could be re-used for non-critical systems in future developments. 🤷‍♂️ dunno just spit balling here. ✌️

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Bipogram t1_jadq4p9 wrote

Perhaps.

But you still need to launch that junk from its current orbit to wherever you want it to go, and then soft-land it (if you're aiming for the Moon).

The average satellite will lack;

a) Fuel/engines to perform such a task

b) the same for capture/soft-braking manoeuvres

c) structures/resources to allow it to land safely (legs, power, etc.)

It's like saying I could go down to the beach, and cobble together a boat from discarded plastic and wood.

I could.

Or I could build a ship.

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