D eco m m issio n in g in Sp ace
20 A p ril 2016
Tim Reed m an an d Jo h n Rat t i
www.mdacorporation.com
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Uses of Space
First man made satellite in 1957 – Sputnik 1
Exploration:
Communications:
spacecraft
Earth observation:
Navigation:
Moon landings in 1969, missions to
Mars, Venus, etc
First telecommunications spacecraft
launched in 1962, now over 300
in use
Weather, spy satellites, mapping,
resource management
GPS, Gallileo, Glonass
Over 5,000 launches, 20,000 objects larger than 10cm now in
earth orbit
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U ses of Sp ace
Co m m unicat io ns
Exp lo rat io n
N avig at io n
Sp ace syst em s are n o w p ar t
o f d ay t o d ay life o n Ear t h
N avig at io n via GPS is
u b iq u it o u s
Co m m u n icat io n s sp acecraf t
co n n ect t h e w o rld
Ear t h O b ser vat io n
EO sp acecraf t m ap t h e
ear t h , m o n it o r t h e clim at e
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Types of orbits
GEO: Geostationary orbit, an
object in this orbit remains
stationary over a position on the
earth’s surface, used primarily
for communications spacecraft
• 36000km, 0o inclination
MEO: Mid-earth orbit –
navigation constellations
• 2000 – 36000km, 0-90o
inclinations
LEO: Low earth orbit – earth
observation, communications
• 500-2000km, 0-90o
inclinations
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Growth of space objects 1960 - 2009
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Objects in Space
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What do we mean by Decommissioning in Space?
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Why is de-commissioning necessary?
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To make space for the next satellite in a specific spot.
To prevent collisions between space junk that will
generate debris (has anyone seen the movie Gravity?)
To extend the life of other assets:
– less dodging around junk (collision avoidance maneuver) =
less fuel used up and a longer operational life.
•
To eliminate the risk of damage or injury on the ground:
Debris Impact Damage to Hubble’s solar cells
(Image Credit: NASA)
– Depending on the size and materials, pieces may not burn
up completely.
– Satellite debris hits the ground on a regular basis.
– More notable cases are Skylab that hit Australia, or a Russian
satellite that crashed in northern Canada, spreading
radioactive fuel.
•
De-commissioning removes a satellite at the end of its
life and puts it in a safe location that will not impede
future operations or harm people.
A Piece of a Satellite that survived re-entry
(Image Credit: NASA)
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When You De-Commission, Where do you Put It?
Graveyard Orbit – A few Hundred km higher, will never be in the way.
End Of Life
Geostationary – 36,000km – Cell Phone, Broadband, TV satellites
Between 500 and 2000 km – Weather, Satphone, Earth Observation satellites, Space Stations
End Of Life
Disposal De-Orbit
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If We Don’t Begin to Keep Space Clean…
Debris Impact Damage to the Windshield of
the Space Shuttle
(Image Credit: NASA)
Damage to a Solar Array from a Collision
(Image Credit: NASA)
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So How Do You get Rid of the Junk,
and Who’s going to Do It?
Self-Removal
Potential Commercial Services
Drag Sails
Image Credit: ESA
Robotic Systems
Image Credit: MDA
Image Credit: Geosats.com
Gravity Tethers
Image Credit: TUI
Capture Nets
De-orbit thruster firing
Image Credit: ESA
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Are There Laws that Address Space Debris and
Decommissioning?
•
Well, Yes and No…
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Operations in space are governed by “Outer Space Treaty”, passed by the UN
Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) in the 1970’s, a series
of broad non-binding principles that have been implemented in a series of
subsequent international treaties and national laws.
•
Addressing the issue of space debris is two-fold:
•
First, there is Mitigation (clean up after yourself, don’t make the problem worse),
which is now accepted as good practice by most space-faring nations.
– A recognized need to keep the useful orbits clear of old spacecraft and debris.
– Under the Outer Space Treaty, a party is internationally liable for damage
caused by objects (and the component parts of those objects) that they
launch.
– Enforcement to date has been non-existent, and negligence has to first be
proven.
– The origin of the vast majority of smaller debris objects that are not cataloged
cannot be determined, so the liable party is unknown.
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Are There Laws that Address Space Debris and
Decommissioning?
•
Second, there is Remediation (Fix the problem that’s already up there).
– There is no Maritime Law or Salvage Rights in space - even though a satellite
may not be functioning, it does not imply that it has been abandoned by the
nation that launched it. Interfering with it is illegal.
– The technologies for removal of existing space debris are still in its infancy, and
face substantial technical, financial and political hurdles.
– Removing space debris means safely capturing it, and that requires intimate
knowledge of it that is not forthcoming or subject to export control laws.
– Space debris cleanup could be a commercial service. But, currently, if you upset
a piece of debris, or if you accidentally create more debris while cleaning up,
you inherit the liability for damage those objects may cause. This can be a
significant liability and may require substantial third-party liability insurance.
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Space Debris Initiatives –
e.Deorbit – The first Space Debris Reduction Mission
• The European Space Agency is taking the first steps to proving
that commercial debris mitigation is possible.
• Demo mission planned to launch in 4 years.
• The e.Deorbit mission will safely de-orbit Envisat:
– Environmental earth-observation satellite
– One of the largest civilian Earth observation satellite put into space
• 8200 kg, 26m long
– Died in 2012, poses a debris threat to other satellites
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e.Deorbit Mission Overview
How do you safely de-orbit an 8000kg satellite?
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Build and launch a spacecraft (the ”chaser”) that
will match orbits and rendezvous with Envisat
Using a robotic arm, grab it (like the shuttle did
when the Hubble Space Telescope was fixed), and
dock to it.
Re-light the Chaser’s engine, and head for the
atmosphere.
The re-entry will be controlled, and safely aimed at
the pacific ocean.
This is all done remotely, controlled from the
ground.
This is a one-shot mission, but If successful, it will
prove the technology for future “garbage truck”
ventures that can de-orbit many satellites or spent
rocket stages.
Capturing the Hubble Space
Telecope – Image Courtesy of NASA
e.Deorbit – Image Courtesy of ESA
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The (Better) Future of Space Debris
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Currently an unfunded liability
•
Similar, perhaps to other situations here on Earth
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Development of new resources sometimes follows this path:
Exploitation –> Discovery of consequences –> Policy debate –> Liability funded
and managed
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For example – in the nuclear industry, nuclear plant decommissioning was not
always necessarily funded. Accidents like Three Mile Island helped highlight the
need for nuclear plant clean up to be funded
•
In mining, a series of environmental disasters in the US led to stringent laws
regarding the funding of trailing liabilities when developing a mine
•
In Space, we are past the discovery of consequences stage, with an emerging
policy debate, which will lead eventually to more effective management of the
liability.
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