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

purpose of such funds would be several fold: (i) to create a rebate system to reward “clean and debris free” launches; (ii) to award a further rebate to reward clean disposal of satellites at the end-of life. Under this approach there would now be clear incentives to get rid of space debris as opposed to the current disincentives and potential liabilities associated with bringing debris and satellites down or into graveyard orbits. The creation of a fund—or perhaps several funds that could grow into a global fund—would create incentives to develop the best technology rather than a single approach that might ultimately prove to be suboptimal. The 20-year sunset for the fund(s) would create a specific goal to complete the mission, and if success is achieved there would not be the additional issue of having to disband an international agency.
    The fund (or collection of national/regional funds) could be established over time in an “organic manner” with countries forming such a fund on a national basis, or perhaps Europe could form such a fund on a regional basis. This type of national, regional, and in time ultimately universal fund would be formed by space actors for the specific purpose of addressing the space debris issue. This approach would thus become a pro-active “forward looking” approach to financing a solution to the problem rather than seeking a “backwards-looking” approach to addressing space debris with no financing mechanism in place and nations being “coerced” into doing the “right thing”.
    The money to capitalize this type of space debris fund would be collected prior to all launches and would equivalent to perhaps 3–5 % of the total cost of various space-related missions. Under this approach LEO/polar orbit missions might be required to pay in 5 % of mission costs. MEO and GEO orbit and deep space missions might be asked to pay in a lower amount. This fund would be collected for a period of perhaps 20 years but would have a sunset provision on the premise that migitation of orbital debris could be successfully accomplished over this length of time. Thus there would need to be an active agreement to extend the fund or it would otherwise elapse.
    Such a fund (or network of funds) would be formed by means of a specific assessment paid into a designated bank account (or space insurance company) prior to launch. This fund would apply to all those deploying spacecraft into Earth orbit, or, if on a national or regional basis, would apply to all launches from that country or region. Organizations launching satellites beyond Earth orbit would also pay into the fund but a lower amount. After each launch there would be a partial rebate, assuming it was a certified as a clean “debris-free” launch as independently verified. When a spacecraft was de-orbited at end of life or successfully placed in a graveyard orbit there would be a further rebate. The size of the “clean launch” and “successful disposal” rebates would be specified at the time the fund(s) were established. Approximately half of the payments into the fund, however, would always be retained to compensate those entities involved in removing “officially designated” debris from orbit or moving defunct space objects to a graveyard orbit.
    The prime purpose of the national, regional or hopefully, global space debris fund would be to compensate those entities “licensed under an appropriate regulatory framework” to remove debris from Earth orbit or those that develop and operate systems to avoid collisions. This licensing process for entities designated to undertake orbit debris removal or collision avoidance activities might, for example, be formally assigned to the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs or in time spelled out in a new international space convention.
    Other entities might also be “licensed” by the U. N. Office of Outer Space Affairs to undertake activities associated with the prevention of