Addressing space garbage and debris

The problem of space debris arises because objects in orbit travel at high speeds, often over 17,500 miles per hour. At these speeds, even small pieces of debris can cause serious damage to satellites, spacecraft, and other objects in orbit. In addition, collisions between space debris can create even more debris, leading to a cascade effect known as the Kessler Syndrome, in which the amount of debris in orbit increases exponentially, making space activities increasingly hazardous and difficult. Most of the small fragments which reenter Earth's atmosphere gets burned off but any objects that might reach the surface can do a lot of damage because of their reentering velocity and force.

The world feared the Skylab (The USA’s first space station) in 1979 when its orbit decayed faster than anticipated, it became a historical scare for people, and in a few parts of the world, people became hysterical. There were small-scale scares like this with the Mir space station in 2001, and Tiangong-1 in 2018, but fortunately all these fell into the sea without causing any harm to human life or infrastructure. this can be repeated because of any accidents with the increasing space debris.

Space debris can interfere with the observations of observatories. For example, debris can reflect sunlight, making it difficult to observe faint objects. Debris can also block the view of objects, making it impossible to observe them. It can contribute to light pollution, making it difficult to observe faint objects. This is because debris can reflect sunlight, making the night sky brighter. Space debris can create streaks or artefacts in the images captured by space observatories. These streaks can obscure celestial objects of interest or distort the data collected, compromising the scientific quality and accuracy of observations. The presence of space debris increases the risk of collisions with space observatories. Even small debris fragments can cause substantial damage or destruction of sensitive instruments. Collisions can disrupt or terminate scientific observations, rendering the observatory non-functional. To mitigate the risk of collisions, space observatories may need to adopt strategies such as manoeuvring or entering safe modes during periods of high debris density. These restrictions can limit the availability and duration of observation windows, impacting the overall scientific output.

While some international treaties and agreements limit the development and deployment of weapons in space, some countries have conducted tests of anti-satellite weapons and other weapons systems that have the potential to create space debris. For example, in 2007, China conducted an anti-satellite missile test that destroyed one of its satellites, generating thousands of fragments of space debris. Similarly, in 2019, India conducted an anti-satellite missile test that created a cloud of debris in orbit.

These tests are a concern because they not only generate new debris but also increase the risk of collisions between existing objects in orbit. In addition, the testing of space weapons can lead to an arms race in space, which could further exacerbate the issue of space debris.

In 2008, the US conducted an anti-satellite missile test that destroyed a defunct satellite, generating thousands of fragments of space debris. The test was criticized by other countries for creating additional debris in orbit and increasing the risk of collisions.

In addition, the US has conducted other tests of weapons systems that have the potential to create space debris, such as the use of kinetic energy weapons that destroy targets by hitting them at high speeds. While these tests are conducted with safety measures in place, they still pose a risk to the space environment and could contribute to the accumulation of debris. The US is a participant of the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC). It is an inter-governmental forum whose aim is to coordinate efforts to deal with debris in orbit around the Earth. It was founded in 1993. 

The US conducted its tests while being a participant in the IADC, after the US achieved its goal of developing the ASAT, they are now concerned about the space debris other countries might create by doing similar tests they did in space. We can see statements regarding this when China, Russia and India did their ASAT missile testing in space which caused the formation of space debris similar to the one the US created in 2008.

In international relations whenever an avenue for weapons development is being explored, the country that achieved its goal first will try to put restrictions on other countries developing the same weapon, this happened with nuclear weapons and it is also happening with the ASAT. But as of now all we can see are statements, no sanctions were imposed against countries that have created space debris through their missile testing.

The amount of space debris in orbit is difficult to determine precisely, as it consists of numerous small and large objects, some of which are too small to be detected. Estimates suggest that there are more than 34,000 objects larger than 10 centimetres in size and millions of smaller objects, such as flecks of paint and debris from explosions, in Earth's orbit.

The debris is distributed across various altitudes and inclinations, making it difficult to pinpoint exact locations. However, the majority of debris is located in low Earth orbit (LEO), which is the region of space between 160 and 2,000 kilometres above the Earth's surface. This is the region where most satellites and human-made objects are located, and thus where the majority of collisions and debris-generating events occur.

To track and monitor space debris, various agencies and organizations around the world use radar and optical tracking systems, as well as computer models that predict the movement of debris in orbit. This information is used to avoid collisions with debris during space missions and to develop strategies for mitigating the accumulation of space debris.

One strategy for managing space debris is the use of graveyard orbits, also known as disposal orbits or junk orbits. These orbits are used to store defunct satellites and other space debris at the end of their operational life. These orbits are typically located at high altitudes, away from active satellite orbits, to reduce the risk of collisions.

The idea behind graveyard orbits is to remove defunct objects from operational orbits, which reduces the risk of collisions with other active satellites and spacecraft. However, graveyard orbits are not a perfect solution, as the objects in these orbits can still pose a threat to space activities if they collide with other debris or if they re-enter the Earth's atmosphere. In addition, the use of graveyard orbits can contribute to the accumulation of space debris, as each object in a graveyard orbit takes up valuable space in orbit that could be used for new satellites or other space activities.

To address the problem of space debris, there are ongoing efforts to develop new technologies for removing space debris from orbit, including robotic systems that can capture and remove debris, as well as concepts for using ground-based lasers to deorbit debris. These technologies are still in the development phase and will require significant investment and international cooperation to become operational.

We can look at the case of China where they are using a satellite with a motorized arm to grab and move other defunct satellites into graveyard orbits. But this raised concerns about the potential use of this technology to disrupt enemy satellites. More and more countries might be looking into this option in the future for deterrence.

Even though there are treaties to prevent the placing of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in orbit, there is no restraint on placing ordinary weapons in orbit. There is no international treaty against the testing of ASAT either.

In conclusion, space debris is a growing problem that poses a threat to the safety of space missions and the sustainability of space activities. There are several strategies being used to manage space debris, but more needs to be done to develop new technologies for removing debris from orbit. There should also be greater transparency and cooperation among nations to limit the testing and deployment of space weapons to preserve the safety and sustainability of space activities. Companies that launch satellites into orbit should take steps to minimize the amount of debris that is created, such as deorbiting satellites at the end of their operational life. The problem of space debris is a global problem that requires a global solution with a sustained effort. Governments should work together to develop international treaties and agreements that limit the testing and deployment of space weapons. But more strict action can only be expected from the countries once we experience some kind of loss or near catastrophe in the future.

Pic Courtesy-NASA

(The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent views of CESCUBE.)