Can we refuel 'dead' satellites in space? Bold new missions aim to try.
Running out of gas is annoying at the best of times, let alone if you're a satellite traveling at speeds of up to 17,500 mph (28,200 km/h) high above Earth's surface. At the moment, a satellite that burns through all its fuel simply becomes space junk, adding to the vast debris field surrounding our planet. "It's the equivalent of buying a car with one tank of fuel in it, and you throw the car away when you run out of that fuel," Ray Fielding , head of space sustainability at the UK Space Agency, told Live Science. Often, the satellites are perfectly functional and just lack the fuel to maneuver around debris, he added. However, the space industry is aiming to change this paradigm by investing in projects that will allow satellites to be refueled and serviced in orbit. In addition to mitigating the growing problem of space junk , this more sustainable approach could cut down on wasted resources and reduce the costs associated with operating satellites. Rela...