I have blogged before about all the space junk orbiting the Earth. It is a huge problem and is getting worse with every launch. Space agencies on Earth are tracking over twenty three thousand pieces of space junk bigger than four inches. (For comparison, a baseball is about three inches in diameter.) It is estimated that there are trillions of smaller particles.
I have to admit that I am ambivalent on the subject of this week's blog. I would prefer that state government stay out of promoting private businesses. However, I am a great fan of private space ventures.
I have blogged in the past about India's space program. They are a minor player in the international space race but they have made impressive progress including sending a satellite to Mars. They are also working on a reusable space launch vehicle.
I have blogged in the past about the U.S. shortage of plutonium-238. Plutonium-238 is an radioactive isotope of plutonium which is very useful in the construction of space probes for the exploration of space. It has a half-life of eighty eight years which means that its production of heat will take that long to fall to half its original output.
