Although the dispersed needles in the second experiment removed themselves from orbit within a few years, some of the dipoles that had not deployed correctly remained in clumps, contributing a small amount of the orbital debris tracked by NASA’s Orbital Debris Program Office. Their numbers have been diminishing over time as they occasionally re-enter. As of April 2023, 44 clumps of needles larger than 10 cm were still known to be in orbit.
They’re still up there. If they somehow survived re-entry, they could hit you. You could be innocently looking up and all of a sudden - copper needle from space, right in the eye.
I don’t know if they could descend from MEO into the atmosphere and not eventually vaporize from heat ablation before slowing enough to re-enter. Copper ain’t gonna withstand those temps.
Even if they did, the chance of one of them landing on someone’s eye is so astronomically low as to be functionally 0% - but that’s not the point! The point is to jokingly play into someone’s unreasonable fear of orbital copper needles! Work with me here.
They’re still up there. If they somehow survived re-entry, they could hit you. You could be innocently looking up and all of a sudden - copper needle from space, right in the eye.
! My one weakness.
I was two days away from retirement!
Better than a toilet seat.
I don’t know if they could descend from MEO into the atmosphere and not eventually vaporize from heat ablation before slowing enough to re-enter. Copper ain’t gonna withstand those temps.
Even if they did, the chance of one of them landing on someone’s eye is so astronomically low as to be functionally 0% - but that’s not the point! The point is to jokingly play into someone’s unreasonable fear of orbital copper needles! Work with me here.