Regulating Orbital Debris, Part One

May 16, 2022

Media coverage

Regulating Orbital Debris, Part One

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It seemed as though nothing could stop humanity’s inevitable advance into space when we were just starting space launches 60 years ago. A byproduct of this frontier mindset and a problem we created ourselves, debris, is now rubbing up against a new, flourishing commercial space industry. There is a field of metal, left over from satellite launches over the past several decades, orbiting several hundred miles over our heads. Although many of these items are active and functional, more are not. We run the risk of losing access to important orbits for many years due to the expanding corpus of junk.

Meanwhile, the frequency of satellite collisions in orbit has grown due to the accelerated rate of launches over the past decade. Tens of thousands more licensed satellites and the increasing consumption in launch capacity will only aggravate the congestion problem. The worst part is that satellite operators have no responsibility for preserving a safe, usable orbital environment for both current space players and upcoming generations. It is true that orbital debris is often described as a tragedy of the commons. But it’s also a result of space races, short-termism, and the government’s unwillingness to recognize the impact of their countries on Earth’s orbital environment.

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