Space Sustainability - Space Debris

Around 5,000 active satellites are currently orbiting the earth and providing tangible social scientific security and economic benefits to billions of individuals all over the globe.

This includes enhancing things that we rely upon on a daily basis such as Phones, the Internet, E-portal, Navigation, Weather forecasting, News, Entertainment, etc. Indeed space system applications are now so intimately woven into the fabric of our modern information.

However, the ability to continue to provide these important benefits from outer space is now threatened by a number of challenges.

The earth's orbital space environment is a finite resource and it's being used by an increasing number of space actors in potentially unsustainable ways.

In the early stage of the space age, there are only a few possibilities of a disaster such as space weather and impacts from meteoroids. After the technology emerges to the globe, all countries are involved in space research. This causes the space environment to become much more congested.

The number of satellites putting into space is increasing rapidly and there are also tens of thousands of defunct satellites rocket bodies and other fragments that we collectively refer to as "SPACE DEBRIS".

According to Google Space Debris is defined as "Space junk, or space debris, is any piece of machinery or debris left by humans in space. It can refer to big objects such as dead satellites that have failed or been left in orbit at the end of their mission".

All of this poses an increasingly serious collision hazard to operational satellites and human space flight. There are currently 28,000 pieces of human-generated debris in Earth's orbit layer 10 cm in size each of which could destroy an active satellite in collision.

Statistical modeling indicates there are an estimated 7,00,000 pieces of orbital debris between 1 and 10 cm in size that are largely untracked. There are millions of space debris that is less than 1 cm in size. Since some space debris is even less than mm's. It is hard to measure the exact count of space debris that is available.

This existing orbital debris is largely concentrated in the same altitudes that are heavily used by satellites and in particular low earth orbit and geostationary earth orbit.

A famous scientist Donald J. Kessler in 1978 summarized a phenomenon in which the amount of junk in orbit around Earth reaches a point where it just creates more and more space debris, causing big problems for satellites, astronauts, and mission planners. It is termed as Kessler Syndrome.

Kessler also predicts that there would be a critical point where the density of orbital debris would result in random collisions between debris and objects.

These random collisions would generate more debris at a rate faster than it is naturally removed from orbit by the earth's atmosphere although this process takes place relatively slowly over decades or centuries we are already seeing it impose a cost on space activities.

Satellites operating in congested regions have to manage a growing number of close approach warnings and may need to expand precious fuel to avoid potential collisions with debris.

As the amount of orbital debris grows so do the risks of collision making some activities too unsafe risky or unprofitable to continue.

In the early days of the space age, the financial and technological barriers to becoming space stars were very high. Only a few countries had the competencies to perform that. But now, the scenario is different. Many more affordable options for launching satellites into space. This is driving innovation of new space technologies and space applications of innovation of new space technologies and space applications at a pace never seen before together these factors have led to an explosion of space activities all around the world. We are also seeing the emergence of space systems with hundreds and even thousands of satellites.

Space Debris Comparision from 1957 to 2030

Resolving Space Debris is a complex issue and challenging task that requires international cooperation and the development of advanced technologies. Some strategies have been proposed and are currently being explored to address space debris. They are,

1. Limiting Future Debris - Implementing strict regulations on satellite design and launch procedures to minimize the creation of new debris is crucial.

2. Harpoon, Nets, or Grapple Systems - Concepts involve capturing debris using harpoons, nets, or robotic arms, then deorbiting or safely disposing of them.

3. Laser systems - Ground-based lasers or lasers on spacecraft can be used to change the orbits of small debris, causing them to reenter the earth's atmosphere.

4. Space Traffic Management - Establishing international guidelines and regulations for satellite operators to ensure responsible behavior and coordination in space.

5. Technological Innovation -Developing advanced tracking and monitoring systems to better track the location and movement of space debris.

6. Advancing propulsion technologies that enable more efficient and cost-effective debris removal. Researching new materials for satellites that burn up more completely upon reentry. It's important to note that space debris is a global problem, and addressing it requires international cooperation, long-term commitment, and significant investment in research and development. Additionally, any actions taken to remove space debris must be carefully coordinated to avoid creating more debris in the process.