Fore! Astronauts to Make Longest Drive in History

As an engineer, I dislike this idea immensely....I am imagining the havoc I have wreaked on the golf course with errant balls...sounds like a setup for self-imposed disaster to me......

Ah, but that is the beuty of space, there are no hooks or slices. Just never ending drives... that crash into communication satellites, destroying the solar panels and knocking them out of the sky. Ok, I see your point.

This raises a practical question. Would the ball be travelling like fast enough to be doing any damage. It seems like it would slow down over time, or would it already be going at some crazy speed based on teh orbiting speed of the station, at which point how would it even be able to catch up?

I guess I'm not sure how much atmosphere is at that orbit to slow it down, but I'm guessing not much. I think if it hits something, it will be a different satellite. There are hundreds of them now, just waiting for a golf ball to come along and smash them.

Whatever satellite that is key to some daily function that lies in an orbit lower than the space station will inevitably be hit qnd disabled, if the the golfer swinging manages to miss all the vulnerable parts of the space station itself.

Just read an article about concerns by NASA on the large amount of debris accumulating in low earth orbit, and now someone is adding "un-necessary" debris. What next? Some American will undoubtedly have to swat the longest home run ever, then a bowler will come along, and..... There are two private companies working on taking rich passengers on the ultimate joy ride. What will they start leaving up there. Time for anti-littering laws and fines. but, who will enforce them?

Star Troopers, of course!