Media Advisory: Next 'Science On Saturday' lecture examines effects of space debris

WHO: Lab scientist John Henderson and teacher Tom Shefler will present "Space Junk: Traffic Cops in Space," at the next Science on Saturday lecture.

WHAT: Our society is reliant on satellites for many important everyday activities: travel, farming, communication and entertainment, for example. As we launch more satellites, the risk of a satellite colliding with another or a piece of space junk increases, threatening satellite services we depend on. This presentation will review the many ways we use satellites, how space collisions happen, how much of a danger space collisions are, and what can be done to prevent them. In addition, the presenters discuss how collisions in space have surprising results because of their extremely high speeds, why most satellites simply cannot maneuver out of the way of space junk, and why supercomputers are part of the solution to minimizing collisions.

WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 18

Session I: 9:30 a.m.

Session II: 11:15 a.m.

WHERE: Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., Livermore.

NOTE: Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis; there is no pre-registration. Directions, maps and a complete list of lectures are available on the Science on Saturday Website. Science on Saturday is presented by LLNL's Science Education Program.

This year the Lab is expanding the availability of the talks by streaming them live via the LLNL Facebook page.