6.3 Industry best practices and voluntary measures

Industry best practices and voluntary measures are crucial in mitigating space debris. Companies and organizations are stepping up, forming coalitions like the Space Safety Coalition to promote responsible space operations and develop standards for satellite servicing and debris removal.

These efforts go hand-in-hand with spacecraft design improvements. From designing satellites to burn up on re-entry to implementing collision avoidance maneuvers, the industry is taking proactive steps to ensure a sustainable space environment for future missions.

Industry Consortiums and Coalitions

Space Safety Coalition and CONFERS

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Top images from around the web for Space Safety Coalition and CONFERS

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• Space Safety Coalition brings together space industry stakeholders to develop and promote best practices for space safety
• Focuses on space debris mitigation, space traffic management, and responsible space operations
• Consortium for Execution of Rendezvous and Servicing Operations (CONFERS) is an industry-led initiative to develop standards and best practices for satellite servicing and debris removal operations
• CONFERS aims to facilitate the development of a commercial satellite servicing industry while ensuring safe and responsible operations

Satellite Servicing and Debris Removal Services

• Satellite servicing involves using spacecraft to repair, refuel, or upgrade existing satellites in orbit, extending their operational lifetimes and reducing the need for replacement satellites
• Orbital debris removal services focus on removing non-functional satellites and debris from orbit to reduce the risk of collisions and improve space sustainability
• Examples of satellite servicing missions include NASA's Restore-L and DARPA's Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) program
• Companies like Astroscale and ClearSpace are developing technologies and services for debris removal, such as using nets, harpoons, or robotic arms to capture and deorbit debris

Spacecraft Design Best Practices

Design for Demise and Collision Avoidance

• Design for demise involves designing spacecraft components to burn up completely during atmospheric re-entry, minimizing the risk of debris reaching the Earth's surface
• Techniques include using materials with low melting points, designing for breakup and disintegration, and avoiding the use of dense, heat-resistant materials like titanium or beryllium
• Collision avoidance maneuvers are used to prevent collisions between spacecraft and other objects in orbit
• Spacecraft operators monitor the positions of their satellites and other objects, using data from tracking networks like the U.S. Space Surveillance Network
• When a potential collision is identified, operators can command their spacecraft to perform avoidance maneuvers, such as changing altitude or adjusting their orbit

Debris Removal Technologies

• Various technologies are being developed to actively remove debris from orbit, including nets, harpoons, robotic arms, and tethers
• Nets can be used to capture debris, which can then be deorbited or moved to a disposal orbit
• Harpoons can be fired into debris to establish a secure connection, allowing the debris to be towed or deorbited
• Robotic arms can be used to grapple debris and move it to a different orbit or attach deorbit devices
• Electrodynamic tethers use the Earth's magnetic field to generate drag, causing debris to deorbit more quickly

Space Traffic Coordination

Space Traffic Management and Space Sustainability Rating

• Space traffic management involves the planning, coordination, and control of activities in space to ensure safe and sustainable operations
• Includes tracking and cataloging space objects, sharing data on space activities, and developing guidelines and best practices for space operations
• The Space Sustainability Rating is a voluntary system that assesses the sustainability of space missions based on factors such as debris mitigation measures, end-of-life disposal plans, and transparency
• Developed by the World Economic Forum, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the European Space Agency (ESA)
• Aims to encourage responsible space operations and provide a market incentive for companies and organizations to adopt sustainable practices
• Ratings are based on a mission's compliance with international guidelines, the use of sustainable technologies, and the transparency of its operations