Debrismitagation

Debrismitigation refers to the practice of reducing the amount of space debris in Earth's orbit or preventing its further increase. Space debris, also known as orbital debris or space junk, consists of defunct human-made objects in orbit around Earth, such as discarded rocket stages, defunct satellites, and fragments from collisions. These objects pose a significant risk to operational satellites and crewed space missions.

Methods of debrismitigation can be broadly categorized into two main approaches: passive and active. Passive debrismitigation focuses on preventing the creation of new debris. This includes guidelines for designing spacecraft to minimize debris generation during launch and operation, such as avoiding explosive bolts or intentional fragmentation. It also involves post-mission disposal strategies, such as de-orbiting satellites at the end of their operational life to burn up in the atmosphere or moving them to graveyard orbits.

Active debrismitigation, on the other hand, aims to remove existing debris from orbit. This is a more technologically challenging area and is still largely in the research and development phase. Proposed active debrismitigation techniques include using nets, harpoons, robotic arms, or lasers to capture and de-orbit larger pieces of debris. Collision avoidance maneuvers, where operational satellites are moved out of the path of known debris, are also a crucial part of managing the debris environment. International guidelines and initiatives are in place to encourage and standardize debrismitigation practices among spacefaring nations.