New Ways Forward: A Program of Action for Orbital Space Debris




(1)
Executive Board, International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety (IAASS), Arlington, VA, USA

 




Introduction


In today’s increasingly complex world it turns out that most problems and issues are interdisciplinary in nature. Unfortunately, most of the tools and processes we have available to address these issues are often geared to a single discipline or capability. The issue of orbital space debris is no exception. In order to address the best way forward to remove space debris from orbit, or to prevent it from occurring, requires a wide range of capabilities, including at least the following.



  • Technology: Navigation and orbital mechanics, propulsion and launch systems testing, docking, guidance and avionics systems, computer simulation and modeling, relevant information and communications technology (ICT) systems, design, simulation and testing of space situational awareness (SSA) systems.


  • Management: Strategic planning and scheduling, contracting, back-up arrangements, operation of space situational awareness (SSA) systems, and intelligence assessment and strategic data analysis.


  • Risk Minimization: Quality control, safety standards, insurance coverage.


  • Finance and Capital Planning: Mission financing, cash flow analysis, trade-off and cost-benefit analysis, competitive bidding contracting policies.


  • International Relations and Legal and Policy Analysis: A new level of adherence to international guidelines for debris mitigation, negotiation of new provisions to limit creation of new debris, seeking agreement on new liability provisions, financial and legal arrangements to create incentives to engage in active debris removal, consider military and defense implications of new international agreements.


  • Strategic Planning: Consideration of short term costs of debris mitigation versus longer term costs of being denied access to space or loss of critical space infrastructure.


  • Environmental Issues: Assessment of the environmental impact of different types of active orbital debris systems versus their costs and cost effectiveness, comparative impact of use of liquid-fueled, solid-fueled or electrical-ion propulsion.

In order for progress to be made there is a need for at least two things. One key objective, of course, would be an agreed international goal-oriented action agenda. The second key asset would be interdisciplinary teams with a wide range of expertise that would be available to work with all of those addressing the problem and seeking the needed new solutions. The community of interested parties is quite broad. It clearly includes space agencies and defense-related ministries; relevant governmental agencies dealing with the international relations in this area; the various United Nations bodies dealing with disarmament and the peaceful and sustainable uses of outer space; aerospace, space-applications and space transportation companies; and perhaps most significantly the insurance and risk-management industries and a wide range of economic interests that now have a significant dependence on space-related infrastructure.


An Action-Oriented and Goal-Directed Agenda

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