On the topic of junking them and just replacing them, I started another thread in FQ about the monitoring of discarded debris is space: How much junk is orbiting the Earth, and where is it? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board
On the topic of junking them and just replacing them, I started another thread in FQ about the monitoring of discarded debris is space: How much junk is orbiting the Earth, and where is it? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board