The growing number of satellites and accumulation of space debris risk rendering low Earth orbit unusable unless nations and companies collaborate to share critical data for managing this increasingly congested region, experts and industry leaders warn. In late October, a United Nations panel on space traffic coordination emphasized the urgent need for action, recommending the creation of a comprehensive shared database of orbital objects and an international framework for tracking and managing them.
Space-faring nations and companies are deploying prominent constellations of small satellites to provide services like the Internet, navigation systems, TV and radio, and scientific research. As the number of satellites has exploded, so have the problems caused by collisions and wear and tear. The result is a crowded and dangerous environment where even a single paint flake hurtling past at 17,500 miles per hour has the potential to cause catastrophic damage.
That’s why the global satellite industry has invested in better monitoring and situational awareness, with many countries and private companies now employing various mitigation strategies to reduce the number of objects they launch. These include utilizing less crowded orbits, adjusting satellite attitudes, and avoiding maneuvers. And with the pace of launches set to accelerate further – particularly for satellites in low Earth orbits – these measures will need to be scaled up significantly, as Reuters reported.
However, preventing satellites from being damaged by debris is challenging, even with the best monitoring capabilities and avoidance maneuvers. Everything in orbit moves at high speeds, putting the entire space area at risk. And, as one of the worst break-ups in space history showed this week, even a single inch-sized piece of debris can create massive damage at those speeds.
The most significant sources of the mess are rocket bodies, other fragments left in orbit after a launch, and old and defunct satellites. However, explosions caused by anti-satellite missile tests and natural events such as meteor showers also contribute to the growing pile of space trash, as does the superficial erosion of satellites due to tumbling and other effects.
The only way to deal with the rapidly growing amount of junk is to remove it, and that’s a costly affair, at least on an individual basis. As a result, satellites are being designed with technologies that enable active removal – including 2D and 3D graphic markers, handles to facilitate capture, and passive radio-frequency identifiers to help the capturing system know where to find the craft. This and a broader shift to “Design for Removal” technology on future satellites that can be easily removed at the end of their life could help ease the problem. But if nothing is done, the world’s most accessible part of space could be rendered unusable in some orbits for decades or even centuries. That’s not a scenario that anyone wants to see.
