Space Debris and Other Threats From Outer Space by Joseph N. Pelton Read Free Book Online

There are many things that can go wrong in carrying out the active de-orbit of satellites and/or upper rocket stages. Removal of debris through known techniques today is expensive, difficult, and complicated by legal liability provisions of the “Liability Treaty”. The debris that is in orbit begets additional debris by the cascade effect of debris collisions. (This process has now created a swarm of millions of micro-debris elements, especially in LEO.) Collision of large debris elements (or even active satellites) generates a very large number of new debris. Using armor on active satellites against debris or micro-meteorites works only up to objects that are 1 cm or less in size. In short there is no magic elixir or wand to wave to make this increasingly serious problem to go away.
    Yet new institutional and regulatory approaches to space debris are being actively explored. In light of the fact there are only ten spacefaring nations and most debris can be directly linked to the United States, Russia and China, one would have thought more progress would have been achieved on this front than is the case today. Certainly space debris issues are being actively addressed in a number of ways, such as:
    Prelaunch due diligence.
Improved operational procedures, including controlled de-orbiting of spacecraft, venting of toxic gases prior to de-orbit, and avoiding the use of nuclear-powered systems for satellites that are to eventually de-orbit back to Earth.
Development of new technologies that might be able to achieve space debris removal or to actively avert major space debris elements from colliding, or to provide more shielding.
New legal procedures and agreements to address among other things space debris matters. (There is a growing need to address the troublesome problem of national liability with regard to launched “space objects” that is actually serving to retard efforts to undertake active debris removal.)
New processes and mechanisms such as a fund for debris removal or a new institutional mechanism to address space debris removal.
    Yet much more needs to be done. There are now no significant or specific penalties that apply to creating new space debris except a general liability provision that says that if your “space object” injures someone else in another country then you are at fault and subject to a liability claim. In short one of the big problems is that there are no truly effective incentives or penalties that would “encourage” countries to stop creating new debris or remove debris from orbit other than a good public image and not being seen as a “bad guy”.
    Most articles written about space debris tend to focus on either the orbital mechanics, the space technology needed to remove debris from orbit, or relevant regulatory issues. Technical papers usually seek to address such aspects as: (i) the growing extent of the problem and space situational awareness; (ii) the factors that are contributing to the rate of buildup of debris; or (iii) technical approaches related to debris removal and remediation. Regulatory papers on the other hand tend to address: (i) various ways to undertake due diligence to prevent the creation of new debris; (ii) the actions needed to be taken by governmental or intergovernmental bodies relating to orbital debris and its mitigation; (iii) questions of liability and legal responsibility; or (iv) the creation of agencies or mechanisms to undertake space situational awareness, to control debris and/or to remove debris from orbit.
    A Global Fund for Debris Removal?
    The missing element in many of these discussions is how to create the economic wherewithal to address the debris problem and how to create financial incentives to correct the problem. In this section the analysis is directed toward the merits of establishing national, regional and in time perhaps universal agreements to establish economic funds—as well as incentives or penalties—to mitigate the problem. The