{"id":61336,"date":"2019-10-14T22:20:11","date_gmt":"2019-10-14T14:20:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/space-debris-and-mt-everest\/"},"modified":"2019-10-14T22:20:11","modified_gmt":"2019-10-14T14:20:11","slug":"space-debris-and-mt-everest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/space-debris-and-mt-everest\/","title":{"rendered":"Space Debris and Mt. Everest"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With the proliferation of satellites going to orbit of late, I\u2019m often asked what lies ahead with respect to the issue of debris in space. By many accounts, thousands of new satellites will be in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) by 2025. These will be joining the hundreds of thousands of pieces of space debris already in orbit.<\/p>\n<p>One possible future outcome lies more than 7,000 miles due east of my office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and then about 5.5 miles straight up. If we want to predict the future of LEO, consider the history of Mount Everest.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/mFrK9N8aRyKli2KZqec4_VS_110119_Cover_DGTL-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"width: 120px; height: auto;\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/mFrK9N8aRyKli2KZqec4_VS_110119_Cover_DGTL-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/mFrK9N8aRyKli2KZqec4_VS_110119_Cover_DGTL-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/mFrK9N8aRyKli2KZqec4_VS_110119_Cover_DGTL-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/mFrK9N8aRyKli2KZqec4_VS_110119_Cover_DGTL.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"fs-5 mt-0\">Explore the November 2019 Issue<\/h3>\n<p class=\"mb-0 fs-smaller text-balance\">Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-primary\" type=\"button\" data-bs-toggle=\"offcanvas\" data-bs-target=\"#offcanvasMENU\" aria-controls=\"offcanvasExample\" aria-label=\"button\" style=\"white-space: nowrap;\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tView More <i class=\"bi bi-arrow-right-circle\"><\/i><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/button><\/p>\n<p>Like LEO, Mount Everest was once beyond our reach. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first to summit Mount Everest in 1953. Things very quickly got messy. In just over five decades, however, the first dedicated mission to clean up the garbage on Everest was underway.<\/p>\n<p>Is there anywhere our species can go without leaving a mess? If we\u2019re going to sort that out with respect to space debris, the time is now.<\/p>\n<p>Only 60 satellites launched during the first nine years of space exploration. It\u2019s about to get much more crowded up there. The SpaceX Starlink constellation aims to launch 12,000 small satellites by 2027. Of the first 60 SpaceX satellites that were launched earlier this year, five percent of them are no longer responding to demands and appear to be \u201cdead.\u201d If that trend continues, 600 of the planned 12,000 Starlink satellites will be floating space junk in a few years. Add in constellations of over 1,000 satellites planned by OneWeb and Amazon plus dozens of companies preparing smaller constellations and the magnitude of the problem will continue to get worse. LEO is expansive, but it\u2019s not infinite.<\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a699bee0e28d;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a699bee0e28d = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a699bee0e28f').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a699bee0e28f'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>If satellite operators don\u2019t de-orbit or move into graveyard orbits, the risk of the Kessler Syndrome only increases. Proposed by NASA\u2019s Donald J. Kessler in 1978, the Kessler Syndrome is a cascade of collisions created by space debris creating more space debris \u2014 all as a result of growing density of objects in LEO. Cinematically, check out the opening scene of the film Gravity for a dramatization of Kessler. Catastrophic collisions have already taken place and NASA predicts a one hundred percent likelihood of future Kessler scenarios. It\u2019s only a question of whether the collision will be with large Hall thruster-based satellites whose tanks will create huge debris fields or with smallsats wherein the debris field will be smaller, but with increased frequency.<\/p>\n<p>International guidelines call for de-orbiting satellites within 25 years of the end of their missions. Satellites in LEO are to lower their altitude to the point where Earth\u2019s gravity takes over and burns up the satellites during descent. Geostationary satellites are to move hundreds of kilometers higher into graveyard orbits. To date, however, The European Space Agency (ESA) reports only 60 percent compliance. A recent NASA report stated that unless 99 percent of future satellites de-orbit once their missions are complete, then we are going to have a big problem with debris as well as a corresponding increase in perilous Kessler Syndrome scenarios (ESA\u2019s recommendation was 95 percent de-orbiting.)<\/p>\n<p>While anyone who has ever camped knows the rule of pack it in, pack it out, this idea is relatively new ground for the satellite industry. In our case, it means mandatory planned de-orbiting; guidelines are helpful, but they aren\u2019t regulations. NASA, ESA, and other agencies need to give these guidelines some teeth if they\u2019re going to be effective. The bottom line is this: if you\u2019re going to send something up into space, following guidelines can\u2019t be considered optional. Be sure you know how and when it\u2019s going to come back. This isn\u2019t an imminent problem; it\u2019s already happening and only gets worse with every new launch. <\/p>\n<p>Even if the vast majority of satellite operators start following the 25-year rule, a more hands-on approach to debris mitigation might become necessary. ESA says that in some orbits with heavy traffic, the international community might need to remove five to ten large objects annually to keep the debris population from becoming too dense. In fact, ESA has reported that \u201ca \u2018business as usual\u2019 scenario will lead to a progressive, uncontrolled increase of object numbers in LEO, with collisions becoming the primary debris source.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Companies and universities are preparing to test various approaches to retrieving the junk. The Surrey Space Centre\u2019s RemoveDEBRIS satellite, for example, is an approach using a giant net to capture inactive debris. RemoveDEBRIS is also equipped with a harpoon to spear objects and a drag sail. Once it captures debris, it will unfurl the drag sail to slow down RemoveDEBRIS and its target until they burn up in Earth\u2019s atmosphere.  <\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Space Based Surveillance System (SBSS) program has so far launched satellites into LEO and Geostationary Orbit (GEO) to track debris. Similarly, a Canadian start-up called NorthStar is plans to deploy a 40-satellite constellation to track space debris.<\/p>\n<p>Researchers in China have proposed the means to redirect space debris through the use of in-space lasers. The lasers would theoretically impact the trajectory of the debris and send it into descent.<\/p>\n<p>These are well-meaning, but problematic approaches. First, there\u2019s little financial incentive to remove space debris. Who will pay for the implementation of these proposed solutions? Second, we can\u2019t wait any longer. The most effective solution in cleaning up this growing mess is to stop making more of it.<\/p>\n<p>That amounts to 100 percent planned de-orbiting.<\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a699bee0e814;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a699bee0e814 = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a699bee0e815').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a699bee0e815'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>The technology already exists to accomplish this. Outfitting a satellite with in-space propulsion capabilities ensures that the spacecraft can be navigated to burn up safely in Earth\u2019s atmosphere at end of mission. Until very recently, however, there were no propulsion options small enough to fit on the incredibly popular small and cube satellites. In fact, many have been launched without propulsion. The hope is that the orbit of these satellites would eventually decay to a point where the spacecraft would naturally burn up in the atmosphere, but that can\u2019t always be counted on in a timely manner \u2014 especially for small pieces of debris. Fortunately, advances in technology and science have been providing new options for these satellites. Using recent advances in electronics fabrication and nanotechnology, we have introduced one of the smallest, most powerful propulsion systems to the market, which will ensure every satellite has the functionality to navigate in space, and eventually de-orbit. <\/p>\n<p>Whatever the approach, something (or combination of things) must be done to protect Earth\u2019s orbit from becoming as littered as Everest did. This year alone, climbers in Nepal have collected more than 11 tons of garbage. Still, the climbers keep coming to the \u201cworld\u2019s highest garbage dump;\u201d this year Nepal issued a record of permits to climbers.<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, 2019 is on track to break satellite launch records. Meanwhile, just as garbage from the very first Everest summit is still on the mountain, the very first piece of space debris \u2014 the U.S. Vanguard 1 \u2014 is still in orbit. It\u2019s up there somewhere, along with millions of other pieces of debris. Five decades later, it\u2019s time to tackle the problem created by all the defunct satellites and spent rocket stages left in orbit. The longer we wait, the more intractable the problem becomes. Waiting is not an option.   <\/p>\n<p>If this topic is new to you, the ESA and NASA have initiatives under way to mitigate this growing concern. The ESA Clean Space Initiative and NASA\u2019s Orbital Debris Program are both valuable sources of information. If you are already concerned, perhaps take a deeper dive at the upcoming International Orbital Debris Conference, the first of its kind this December in Texas. And if you are planning to launch a satellite into LEO, make sure you have a plan in place before you launch to bring that satellite out of LEO when your mission is complete. <\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"widget-title\">In This Issue<\/h2>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 406273:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"183\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/pV7rsvHeSdGiRc45JFYQ_VS_110119_BlockChain_Opener-300x183.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/pV7rsvHeSdGiRc45JFYQ_VS_110119_BlockChain_Opener-300x183.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/pV7rsvHeSdGiRc45JFYQ_VS_110119_BlockChain_Opener-800x489.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/pV7rsvHeSdGiRc45JFYQ_VS_110119_BlockChain_Opener-640x391.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/pV7rsvHeSdGiRc45JFYQ_VS_110119_BlockChain_Opener.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tBlockchain: The Next Big Disruptor in Space<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 406279:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"202\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tGlxOU6JQ5WeV7KmxciC_VS_110119_Africa-300x202.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tGlxOU6JQ5WeV7KmxciC_VS_110119_Africa-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tGlxOU6JQ5WeV7KmxciC_VS_110119_Africa-800x538.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tGlxOU6JQ5WeV7KmxciC_VS_110119_Africa-640x431.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tGlxOU6JQ5WeV7KmxciC_VS_110119_Africa.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tBringing Broadband to Africa<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 406285:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"167\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Xw9L0XVbREamIcpkD9qw_EdNote_Header_Web-300x167.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Xw9L0XVbREamIcpkD9qw_EdNote_Header_Web-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Xw9L0XVbREamIcpkD9qw_EdNote_Header_Web-800x446.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Xw9L0XVbREamIcpkD9qw_EdNote_Header_Web-640x357.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Xw9L0XVbREamIcpkD9qw_EdNote_Header_Web.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tChanging Times Signal New Issues for the Satellite Industry<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 406270:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"278\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/jOyadwF2QGKA50RmbzAA_VS_0110119_Cyber_DGTL-300x278.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/jOyadwF2QGKA50RmbzAA_VS_0110119_Cyber_DGTL-300x278.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/jOyadwF2QGKA50RmbzAA_VS_0110119_Cyber_DGTL-800x741.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/jOyadwF2QGKA50RmbzAA_VS_0110119_Cyber_DGTL-640x593.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/jOyadwF2QGKA50RmbzAA_VS_0110119_Cyber_DGTL.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tThe Growing Risk of a Major Satellite Cyber Attack<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 406276:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"252\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/g8CymP9FRHOs1EEmBmPk_VS_110119_Software-300x252.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/g8CymP9FRHOs1EEmBmPk_VS_110119_Software-300x252.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/g8CymP9FRHOs1EEmBmPk_VS_110119_Software-800x671.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/g8CymP9FRHOs1EEmBmPk_VS_110119_Software-640x537.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/g8CymP9FRHOs1EEmBmPk_VS_110119_Software.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tThe Software-Defined Future of Satellites<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the proliferation of satellites going to orbit of late, I\u2019m often asked what lies ahead with respect to the issue of debris in space. By many accounts, thousands of new satellites will be in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) by 2025. These will be joining the hundreds of thousands of pieces of space debris already in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":61337,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-61336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61336"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61336"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61336\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}