Space Security Index

(German Aerospace Center), ESA, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), JAXA
(Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), NASA, NSAU (National Space Agency of Ukraine),
Roscosmos (Russian Federal Space Agency), and the United Kingdom Space Agency.
While there are dierences among national debris mitigation guidelines, they are broadly
consistent. For example, all national guidelines address issues related to the minimization of
debris released during normal operations. Most states require residual propellants, batteries,
ywheels, pressure vessels, and other instruments to be depleted or made passive at the end
of their operational lifetimes. 52 All major national debris mitigation guidelines address the
disposal of GEO satellites, typically in graveyard orbits some 235 km above GEO, and most
seek the removal of dead spacecraft from LEO within 25 years. 53
e Scientic and Technical Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the
Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) began discussions of space debris issues in
1994 and published its Technical Report on Space Debris in 1999. In 2001, COPUOS
asked IADC to develop a set of international debris mitigation guidelines, on which it based
its own draft guidelines in 2005. 54 In 2007, these guidelines were adopted by UN COPOUS
and endorsed by the UN General Assembly as voluntary measures with which all states are
asked to comply. 55 e soon-to-be-released EU Code of Conduct also calls on signatories to
rearm their commitments to the UN COPUOS space debris mitigation guidelines.
Table 1.7: UN COPUOS Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines 56
Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines
1. Limit debris released during normal operations.
2. Minimize the potential for breakups during operational phases.
3. Limit the probability of accidental collision in orbit.
4. Avoid intentional destruction and other harmful activities.
5. Minimize potential for post-mission breakups resulting from stored energy.
6. Limit the long-term presence of spacecraft and launch vehicle orbital stages in the low-Earth orbit (LEO) region after
the end of their mission.
7. Limit the long-term interference of spacecraft and launch vehicle orbital stages with the geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO)
region after the end of their mission.
e progressive development of international and national debris mitigation guidelines
has been complemented by research on technologies to physically remove debris, such as
electromagnetic “tethers” that could help to safely de-orbit non-operational satellites or
debris. 57 However, a 2006 IADC report concluded that, while “electrodynamic tethers have
strong potential to become eective mitigation measures…various problems are still to be
solved before this technique can be practically adopted.” 58 Currently, natural decay due to
atmospheric drag remains the only feasible way to remove debris, although research into
this area continues.
2010 Development
Orbital debris continues to have a growing impact on operational spacecraft
During the almost nine months that Galaxy 15 was adrift in the active GEO belt (see Trend
1.1) another 15 operational satellites were forced to maneuver to minimize the chance of
physical or electromagnetic interference with it59 and avoid collisions.
In late October, the ISS was forced to maneuver to avoid a potential collision with a piece of
large space debris (object 1991-063G) from NASA’s Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite
The Space Environment
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