Terminate function - A none weapon missile - used to destroy junk

[Gavin McStine]

Things on Kerbal should be recovered at a very small cost. Fuel, personnel and what not. But when it comes to space junk there should be a higher cost for some type of missile. The missile is not shown, it auto hits and destroys its target and only its target(no area effect) With prices for within orbit of Kerbal, in orbit of sun, in orbit/landed on another planet.

I'm reminded by NASAs having to track space debris and some stations/satellite having to avoid debris fields.

[sal_vager]

Hmmm, maybe, though any real life space missile would leave a lot of smaller debris from both the missile and the target, which would still be orbiting.

Total annihilation would be really hard, and probably not possible, it's interesting to note that missiles are not considered for real world space debris control, and not just because of treaties, but other less destructive methods are considered such as nets, retro rockets, lasers (to heat the leading edge and produce a thrust) collection by other craft or just tracking and avoidance.

Actually most satellites these days have a defined end of life manoeuvre to get them to a graveyard orbit, while boosters are intended to never get into a stable orbit to begin with

[Nemrav]

I think maybe just remove the terminate function completely in career and just have missions to take them down after X amount of things are in orbit...

[LordOfTheOrbits]

Like already mentioned, using a missile against debris would only create even more debris and therefore not be of any use. I don't think that a function like this should be implemented because I think that players have to deal with their debris themselves.

[Gavin McStine]

Yes it will make more but smaller debris, right now they can make the debris small enough to not cause any damage to ships hulls/stations/satellites, the only thing that is really damaged is solar panels, which are made larger because they are expecting to lose some solar cells(the smaller parts to solar panels) to debris.

Like already mentioned, using a missile against debris would only create even more debris and therefore not be of any use. I don't think that a function like this should be implemented because I think that players have to deal with their debris themselves.

Right now they are just clicking a button with no cost, I'm just asking that there should be some cost for it. And no, missiles are used right now to take down old large debris that are not designed to break apart.

[goldenpeach]

Like already mentioned, using a missile against debris would only create even more debris and therefore not be of any use. I don't think that a function like this should be implemented because I think that players have to deal with their debris themselves.

Also, the debris would be very small.

Ask NASA if they prefer having a lot of debris not big enough to be detected or one huge debris than can be easily tracked and avoided.

[Capt. Hunt]

Yes it will make more but smaller debris, right now they can make the debris small enough to not cause any damage to ships hulls/stations/satellites, the only thing that is really damaged is solar panels, which are made larger because they are expecting to lose some solar cells(the smaller parts to solar panels) to debris.

Right now they are just clicking a button with no cost, I'm just asking that there should be some cost for it. And no, missiles are used right now to take down old large debris that are not designed to break apart.

about 20 years ago, one of the space shuttle Endeavor's front windscreens was hit by a piece of debris that nearly penetrated half way through the reinforced polycarbonate glass. What was the culprit? a paint chip.

Even tiny debris can pose a risk to spacecraft. That's why anti-satellite missiles are not useful for clearing dead space junk.

[SkyHook]

I hate debris. I just set it to zero and terminate anything else that I am done with. To the OP, the idea is destructive and creates more debris than it gets rid of. Sending a deorbit tug is the least destructive idea, but going to space is so expensive.