Statement of problem

 

According to Nicholas Johnson, NASA’s chief scientist for trackable orbital debris, “The greatest risk to space missions comes from non-trackable debris.” In the recent years, small non-trackable space debris has resulted in numerous collisions with spacecraft causing severe damage to hardware and operations. The amount of this type of debris is constantly growing and, currently, there have been no successful methods for removal.

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What is the Nature of the problem

 

The nature of the problem lies in the overcrowding of commonly used satellite orbits. As more satellites are added to the orbits used by aging or obsolete satellites, the chances of collisions increase along with the amount of small scale non-trackable debris.

Can the problem be solved

 

Yes, on the scale of full spacecraft, steps will be required to lower their orbits until they burn up in the atmosphere. Small debris, however, is harder to trap en masse and will require slow and passive removal of the debris.

How long has the problem existed

 

The first man-made satellite was launched in 1957 along with the modern space age; we’ve had space debris ever since.

How severe is the problem

 

The problem is severe. The amount of debris is increasing exponentially as the rate of collisions increases and creates more debris.