Orbital debris: What are the best near-term actions to take? A view from the field

Abstract

The geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite belt11In this work we will refer to the geostationary ring as the altitude at which the orbital period exactly matches the rotation of the earth, with zero eccentricity and zero inclination, such that the object appears exactly fixed in the sky from an earth-based observer. Similarly, the geosynchronous belt, as, similarly to the geostationary ring, that volume where the orbital period is almost synchronous with the rotation period of the earth, and the inclination and eccentricity are not constrained to being zero. Though this implies an unlimited region for geosynchronous objects, the limitation of launch geometries and perturbations constrain the geosynchronous objects to a "band" around the Earth. is a unique location above the earth affording a continuous line-of-sight to satellite uplink and downlink stations. The volume defined by this belt is large, but available slots are limited. During the last fifty years of the space age, this volume has become more crowded, as humankind has launched more and more satellites into this particular orbital regime, and satellites that suffered incapacitating anomalies and space debris have remained in the belt. The latter pose a hazard since they are uncontrolled, and the only way for satellite operators to avoid collisions with space objects is to maneuver. Knowing when and where to maneuver requires space situational awareness (SSA), but this is just one aspect needed to maintain safety of flight in this very valuable orbital regime.This paper reports on, from the point of view of an SSA practitioner, what the key issues and dangers surrounding the current situation in the GEO belt are, and what the best possible set of near-term actions could be, involving international cooperation (through bodies such as the United Nations Committee On the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS)), data sharing between actors in the space arena, public and private sector SSA efforts, and nascent research efforts into active space debris removal. Where should limited available resources be applied to affect the best possible outcome?