by A new NASA report finds that the space debris problem could be greatly reduced in just 10 years with a little help from lasers or space tugs.
Dealing with the many thousands of pieces of space debris generated by more than 60 years of rocket launches could be done at relatively low cost and at high speed if operators focus on removing the smallest pieces or larger satellites out of the way of a collision to push report of March 10th (opens in new tab) Conditions.
Clearing space debris would have a positive impact on missions to the International Space Station, which has had to maneuver out of the way of space debris twice in the past week alone. Low-Earth orbiting satellites like SpaceX’s Starlink are also responsible for numerous close encounters in space.
While plans to remove space debris are still in their infancy, the report emphasizes that there is a path to success as long as the space community works together and it is clear where to prioritize solving the problem. There is hope, however: the report says that “some remediation approaches can yield net benefits in less than a decade” once a viable method is in place.
Related: How often does the International Space Station have to dodge space debris?
While it’s difficult to quantify the risk of space debris (because not all pieces can be tracked), since the Soviet Sputnik was first launched in 1957, mankind has sent more than 15,000 satellites into the air, and only about 7,200 are of that number according to information in operation the European Space Agency (opens in new tab)Figures for December 2022. A recent article in Science magazine calling for an international deal to tackle space debris says there may be 100 trillion junk floating around out there.
Some of these satellites have fragmented through accidental collisions or deliberate destruction. A notable recent incident was a Russian anti-satellite debris test in 2021, which created so much debris it disrupted both ISS and Starlink operations.
NASA’s 147-page report evaluates numerous options for orbital debris removal, primarily targeting the smallest parts (4 inches/10 cm and smaller) or entire satellites. Lasers appear to be one of the leading options, although the report calls for no specific action; This method is discussed twice (for ground-based and space-based lasers) in three separate small debris removal options and once of five large debris removal options.
Lasers appear to be particularly useful when attempting to remove large numbers of small debris, as both space-based and ground-based lasers are projected to offer a net benefit in terms of cost. But other options such as space tugs or manually clearing away parts are also being considered.
Laser nudging the top 50 objects would also be useful, the report said, although more expensive options like rocket nudges might work faster. However, the authors stressed that their discussion should be seen as a stepping stone towards an early solution to the problem.
“Rather than relying on proxies for risks such as debris count or mass, this report aims to encourage the space community to take a holistic approach to capturing the dollar-denominated risks of space debris and how debris affects satellite operators can for decades to come,” say the authors.
Some early-stage projects are promising, like Japanese startup Astroscale’s ELSA-d spacecraft that captured a simulated piece of space debris in 2021, and an effort by the European Space Agency with ClearSpace-1 to accelerate debris removal efforts as quickly as possible to test in 2025. NASA also announced this week that it will seek a $1 billion space tug to safely remove the ISS when the orbiting complex completes its operations in 2030 or so.
Elizabeth Howell is co-author of “why am i taller (opens in new tab)?” (ECW Press, 2022; starring Canadian astronaut Dave Williams), a book on space medicine. Follow her on Twitter @howellspace (opens in new tab). Follow us on Twitter @spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or Facebook (opens in new tab).
