All the junk that floats in space above planets like Coruscant, old satellites, garbage, destroyed starfighters, metals, etc. Do they clean that stuff up with special craft? I checked Wookieepedia and I came up with nothing.
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2Why would it need to be cleaned up? Space is BIG after all.– user8719Nov 19, 2013 at 10:18
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My guess: R2-D2 had a spare day.– bitmaskNov 19, 2013 at 16:00
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1There are probably space junk scavenger (space jawas?)– MaxNov 19, 2013 at 16:30
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Probably specialized garbage men stationed in space. Also known as spaced junkies.– Mr ListerNov 22, 2013 at 18:00
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Plot twist: WALL-E does it.– NerrolkenDec 15, 2014 at 22:57
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2 Answers
Star-Wars has shield technology. There is no need to clean up space junk. Shield = no risk of damage from impact of junk in orbit.
Eventually it all comes down and burns up (or crashes), so gravity cleans up orbital junk.
There are several questions on Space about problems we have. For the most part these are not issues in the Star Wars universe.
answered Nov 19, 2013 at 15:32
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I don't think shields are a complete answer to the space debris problem. There is already enough debris orbiting the Earth to cause non-negligible problems for our satellites and spacecraft; there would be tons of debris generated around a planet like Coruscant. The debris impact frequency on satellites would be extremely high, and shields require energy and maintenance. Also, this answer on Space indicates that space debris can hang around a long time.– mattsNov 19, 2013 at 16:14
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NASA's [orbital debris FAQ] says the average debris in low orbit is traveling at 8km/s. That means that for a 1kg piece of space junk, the kinetic energy is on the order of 30 million Joules, or about 8kg TNT equivalent. I'd think having to fly through a field of that would be taxing on a ship or satellite's shields.– mattsNov 19, 2013 at 16:27
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6@matts In the first Star Wars movie, Millennium Falcon came out of hyperspace into the middle of the remnants of a recently exploded planet. If that kind of debris field wasn't a problem for their shield technology, wrecked spacecraft and little flecks of paint aren't worth cleaning up. Nov 19, 2013 at 18:35
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There are two races who specialize in garbage collection, according to published sources.
The bad garbage guys are the Ugors, soupy, space-armored religious fanatics who are the SW equivalent of hoarders. They have an entire stellar system which they run as a junkyard/religious shrine. Customers can pay to "make a pilgrimage" and search through the debris for their desires.
The good guys are the schnauser-like, super-recycling Squibs, whose wheeler-dealing culture has been featured in several works. They love to make complicated bargains which wind up making everyone feel like they got away with a great deal.
These two races appeared first in "Scavenger Hunt: An Adventure for Star Wars the Roleplaying Game" by Brad Freeman, published by West End Games (1989). Squibs have appeared subsequently in several works, usually as comic relief.
See also http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Squib for a complete bibliography.
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There are also scavengers who make money by collecting salvage of derelict craft.– ChadNov 26, 2013 at 16:09