Question

even minuscule paint chips in space can severely damage spacecraft because objects in earths orbit travel at speeds up to 12,000 miles per hour. this makes tracking orbital debris critical to future space flight. (paragraph 7) what does debris mean as it is used in the sentence? 1. comets close to earths orbit 2. objects that travel at high speed 3. an active communications satellite 4. the bits of something that is broken scientists are now searching for ways to relocate objects to safer orbits or to eliminate them completely. a current nasa experiment involves focusing a laser on pieces of space junk to prod them away from spacecraft or cause them to deorbit. the laser might also be used to completely obliterate debris. hitting a tiny fragment at a distance of more than 400 miles, however, requires extreme laser precision. the defense advanced research projects agency (darpa) has other ideas. its study, dubbed operation catchers mitt, proposes using a massive net carried by a satellite to pull space trash together, like in a giant garbage bag. the space mitt would use an umbrella to corral tiny bits of waste as well as employ magnets to help close the mitt. debris caught in the mitt would be pulled toward earth and would burn up as it enters earths atmosphere. isnt decreasing the existing volume of space junk the goal? even when they do succeed, this avoidance miss with a satellite fragment or even practical, as in the space stations near - misses with satellite fragments. even when they do succeed, this avoidance isnt decreasing the existing volume of space junk. scientists are now searching for ways to relocate objects to safer orbits or to eliminate them completely. a current nasa experiment involves focusing a laser on pieces of space junk to prod them away from spacecraft or cause them to deorbit. the laser might also be used to completely obliterate debris. hitting a tiny fragment at a distance of more than 400 miles, however, requires extreme laser precision. the defense advanced research projects agency (darpa) has other ideas. its study, dubbed operation catchers mitt, proposes using a massive net carried by a satellite to pull space trash together, like in a giant garbage bag. the space mitt would use an umbrella to corral tiny bits of waste as well as employ magnets to help close the mitt. debris caught in the mitt would be pulled toward earth and would burn up as it enters earths atmosphere.

Explanation:

The passage discusses space - related issues such as space junk and its hazards. The term "debris" in the context of space flight and Earth's orbit refers to objects that travel at high speed in space, which can damage spacecraft.

Answer:

1. objects that travel at high speed