The Developing Issue of Space Debris in Low Earth Orbit
Credit: European Space Agency (ESA)
On Sunday, February 21, 2021, the Georgetown University Space Initiative with Dr. William Kramer, a Wildlife Biologist and Environmental Scientist, brought news of the next great problem to face humanity: space trash.
The outer space and aerospace industries have seen a renaissance in the last decade with the rise of private enterprises such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic among others. With hundreds of satellites being launched annually into Low Earth Orbit (LEO), a small section of the earth’s atmosphere. Dr. Kramer warns that the proliferation of satellites and space junk is accumulating at an alarming rate as Space companies and International Space agencies continue to fill up LEO without thought. Dr. Kramer believes that space demands international regulation or better yet new industry standards to manage the level of human pollution and dumping in LEO, much like environmental standards on Earth.
Some in the space industry, like Planet, the second-largest Earth-imaging company with hundreds of shoebox-sized satellites circulating the Earth that take hyper-detailed images have committed to a no-waste space policy. GUSI met with Dr. Mark Mozena, an astrophysicist working as the Senior Director of Government Affairs for Planet in Washington, DC. He offered insight into the mission of Planet and the operational workings of a commercial satellite company. When questioned about the growing threat of space debris and the pollution of LEO, Dr. Mozena shared a high level of concern that most companies are not treating the pollution of LEO as a serious enough issue. Unsurprisingly, the issue is being mostly ignored by the industry focused on Mars colonization, Moon mining, and Space tourism.
Today, several international space agencies, like the ESA SSA Programme, USSTRATCOM, and SKKP, keep meticulous track of debris in LEO, which could cause serious damage to future missions if untracked. Even though several agencies monitor debris, the sheer volume of tiny debris is overwhelming. Scientists, like on Earth, have been warning about the danger of mindless pollution for years, which will likely severely damage the outer space exploration prospects for future generations.
The question remains to be asked, what can the concerned space lovers of today do to prevent the defiling of LEO and the stymieing of human’s extraterrestrial destiny? Currently, our calls fall on deaf ears, but the day will come when profits for space companies will be smothered in thousands of shattered satellites.
Andrew Colliton is a first-year student in Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service focusing on International Political Economy. He is a new member of the Georgetown University Space Initiative, who hopes to bring attention to the policy challenges in space in the 21st Century.