Space debris: Assessing risk and responsibility

doi:10.1016/J.ASR.2009.02.006

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Space debris: Assessing risk and responsibility

Journal Article•DOI•

Space debris: Assessing risk and responsibility

Andrew M. Bradley¹, Lawrence M. Wein¹•Institutions (1)

Stanford University¹

01 May 2009-Advances in Space Research (Pergamon)-Vol. 43, Iss: 9, pp 1372-1390

TL;DR: Estimates of damage generated by past and future space activities can be used to help determine one-time legacy fees and fees on future activities, which can deter future debris generation, compensate operational spacecraft that are destroyed in future collisions, and partially fund research and development into space debris mitigation technologies.

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About: This article is published in Advances in Space Research.The article was published on 2009-05-01. It has received 40 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Space debris & Spacecraft.

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Journal Article•DOI•

Removing orbital debris with lasers

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Claude R. Phipps, Kevin Baker¹, Stephen B. Libby¹, Duane A. Liedahl¹, Scot S. Olivier¹, Lyn D. Pleasance¹, Alexander M. Rubenchik¹, James E. Trebes¹, E. Victor George, Bogdan Marcovici, James P. Reilly, Michael T. Valley² - Show less +8 more•Institutions (2)

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory¹, Sandia National Laboratories²

01 May 2012-Advances in Space Research

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors reassess this approach in light of recent advances in low-cost, light-weight modular design for large mirrors, calculations of laser-induced orbit changes and in design of repetitive, multi-kilojoules lasers, that build on inertial fusion research.

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144 citations

Cites background from "Space debris: Assessing risk and re..."

...Operational models of the changing risks of space debris damage have been developed to analyze costing strategies for debris removal (Bradley and Wein 2009)....
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...Operational models of the changing risks of space debris damage have been developed to analyze costing strategies for debris removal (Bradley and Wein, 2009)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

An integrated review of concepts and initiatives for mining the technosphere: towards a new taxonomy

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Nils Johansson¹, Joakim Krook¹, Mats Eklund¹, Björn Berglund¹•Institutions (1)

Linköping University¹

15 Sep 2013-Journal of Cleaner Production

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors show that stocks of finite resources in the technosphere continue to grow due to human activity, at the expense of decreasing in-ground deposits, and that human activity is changing the prerequisites for finite resources.

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88 citations

Cites background from "Space debris: Assessing risk and re..."

...If, in addition, the distribution of the metals is uncontrolled, the ownership can be difficult to determine (Nollkaemper, 1994; Bradley and Wein, 2009)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Debris/Micrometeoroid Impacts and Synergistic Effects on Spacecraft Materials

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Eitan Grossman, Irina Gouzman, Ronen Verker

01 Jan 2010-Mrs Bulletin

TL;DR: In this article, the hypervelocity debris effect is studied by retrieving materials from space or by using ground simulation facilities, which include the light gas gun and Laser Driven Flyer methods, for studying the materials degradation due to debris impact.

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Abstract: In the last 40 years, the increased space activity created a new form of space environment of hypervelocity objects—space debris—that have no functional use. The space debris, together with naturally occurring ultrahigh velocity meteoroids, presents a significant hazard to spacecraft. Collision with space debris or meteoroids might result in disfunction of external units such as solar cells, affecting materials properties, contaminating optical devices, or destroying satellites. The collision normally results in the formation of additional debris, increasing the hazard for future missions. The hypervelocity debris effect is studied by retrieving materials from space or by using ground simulation facilities. Simulation facilities, which include the light gas gun and Laser Driven Flyer methods, are used for studying the materials degradation due to debris impact. The impact effect could be accelerated when occurring simultaneously with other space environment components, such as atomic oxygen, ultraviolet, or x-ray radiation. Understanding the degradation mechanism might help in developing materials that will withstand the increasing hazard from the space debris, allowing for longer space missions. The large increase in space debris population and the associated risk to space activity requires significant measures to mitigate this hazard. Most current efforts are being devoted to prevention of collisions by keeping track of the larger debris and avoiding formation of new debris.

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49 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

Earth Observation from Space - The Issue of Environmental Sustainability

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Sylvie Durrieu¹, Ross Nelson²•Institutions (2)

Agro ParisTech¹, Goddard Space Flight Center²

01 Nov 2013-Space Policy

TL;DR: It is suggested that unconventional points of view should be adopted and when appropriate, remedial measures considered that could help to reduce the environmental footprint of space remote sensing and of Earth observation and monitoring systems in general.

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40 citations

Cites background from "Space debris: Assessing risk and re..."

...In this context, the successful Chinese FengYun 1C anti-satellite weapon test in 2007, which significantly increased the probability of collision, has been widely condemned [18,22]....
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...Bradley and Wein [18] demonstrated that achieving full compliance with the 25-year spacecraft deorbiting guidelines could maintain the lifetime risk from space debris at a sustainable level....
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...could be reached in about 50 years [18]....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Propulsion of Spacecraft to Relativistic Speeds Using Natural Astrophysical Sources

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Manasvi Lingam¹, Manasvi Lingam², Abraham Loeb²•Institutions (2)

Florida Institute of Technology¹, Harvard University²

01 May 2020-The Astrophysical Journal

31 citations

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References

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Book•

Natural resource and environmental economics

[...]

Roger Perman, Yue Ma, Michael S. Common, David Maddison, James W. McGilvray - Show less +1 more

01 Jan 1996

TL;DR: Natural Resources and Environmental Economics as discussed by the authors provides a comprehensive and contemporary analysis of the major areas of natural resource and environmental economics, with a focus on renewable energy and renewable energy technologies and their applications.

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Abstract: Natural Resources and Environmental Economics, provides comprehensive and contemporary analysis of the major areas of natural resource and environmental economics.

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1,232 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

NASA's new breakup model of evolve 4.0

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Nicholas L. Johnson, P.H. Krisko, Jer-Chyi Liou, Phillip D. Anz-Meador

01 Jan 2001-Advances in Space Research

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compare the new breakup model to the old breakup model in detail, including the size distributions for explosions and collisions, the area-to-mass and impact velocity assignments and distributions, and the delta-velocity distributions.

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337 citations

"Space debris: Assessing risk and re..." refers background or methods in this paper

...9 of Johnson et al. (2001) presents, for altitudes of 200, 500, 1000, and 1500 km, a piecewise-linear probability density function fvc(vc) of the relative velocity of two objects given that they collide (i.e., the relative collision velocity)....
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...(4) in Johnson et al. (2001), which states that the number of fragments from a collision having characteristic length at least Lc meters is N(Lc;M) = 0.1M 0.75L−1.71c , (B.42) where M is the mass of the objects involved if the collision is catastrophic, and M is the product of the mass of the less…...
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...…S} is split between hazardous (F hτ ) and benign (F b τ ) by calculating the probability that a collision between it and an intact would be catastrophic, which occurs if the kinetic energy of the projectile in Joules is 40 times greater than the mass of the target in grams (Johnson et al., 2001)....
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...The collision rate parameters (βαγ), the debris generation parameters (δ τκ αγ), and the decay rates are computed by taking expectations over the three probability distributions from Johnson et al. (2001) and the two uniform distributions....
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...Though Johnson et al. (2001) defines a non-catastrophic collision as one in which only the less massive object breaks up, we assume that in intact-intact and fragment-fragment collisions, a non-catastrophic collision produces no new fragments....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Risks in Space from Orbiting Debris

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Jer-Chyi Liou, Nicholas L. Johnson

20 Jan 2006-Science

TL;DR: The LEGEND (LEO-to-GEO Environment Debris model) is a high-fidelity three-dimensional physical model developed by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that is capable of simulating the historical environment and the evolution of future debris populations as discussed by the authors.

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Abstract: 340 C R E D IT : (T O P ) N A S A S ince the launch of Sputnik I, space activities have created an orbital debris environment that poses increasing impact risks to existing space systems, including human space flight and robotic missions (1, 2). Currently, more than 9000 Earth-orbiting man-made objects (including many breakup fragments), with a combined mass exceeding 5 million kg, are tracked by the U.S. Space Surveillance Network and maintained in the U.S. satellite catalog (3–5). Three accidental collisions between catalogued objects during the period from late 1991 to early 2005 have already been documented (6), although, fortunately, none resulted in the creation of large, trackable debris clouds. The most recent (January 2005) was between a 31-year-old U.S. rocket body and a fragment from the third stage of a Chinese CZ-4 launch vehicle that had exploded in March 2000. Several studies conducted during 1991–2001 demonstrated, with assumed future launch rates, the potential increase in the Earth satellite population, resulting from random, accidental collisions among resident space objects (7–13). In some low Earth orbit (LEO) altitude regimes, where the number density of objects is above a critical spatial density, the production rate of new debris due to collisions exceeds the loss of objects due to orbital decay. LEGEND (LEO-to-GEO Environment Debris model), is a highfidelity three-dimensional physical model developed by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that is capable of simulating the historical environment, as well as the evolution of future debris populations (14, 15). The LEGEND future projection adopts a Monte Carlo approach to simulate future onorbit explosions and collisions (16). A total of 50 (17), 200-year future projection Monte Carlo simulations were executed and evaluated, under the assumptions that no rocket bodies and spacecraft were launched after December 2004 and that no future disposal maneuvers were allowed for existing spacecraft (few of which currently have such a capability) (18). The simulated 10-cm and larger debris populations in LEO (defined as the region between altitudes of 200 and 2000 km) between 1957 and the end of a 200-year future projection period

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324 citations

Book•

Theory of Satellite Geodesy: Applications of Satellites to Geodesy

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William M. Kaula

27 Nov 2000

TL;DR: In this article, the authors demonstrate how Newtonian gravitational theory and Euclidean geometry can be used and developed in Earth's environment, and discuss earth's gravitational field; matrices and orbital geometry; satellite orbit dynamics; geometry of satellite observations; statistical implications; and data analysis.

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Abstract: In demonstrating how Newtonian gravitational theory and Euclidean geometry can be used and developed in Earth’s environment, the text discusses earth’s gravitational field; matrices and orbital geometry; satellite orbit dynamics; geometry of satellite observations; statistical implications; and data analysis. Prerequisites: introductory course in college physics and a first-year course in calculus.

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289 citations

"Space debris: Assessing risk and re..." refers background or methods in this paper

...01 m(2)/kg (Kaula, 1983) and does not deploy an end-of-life sail-like device to increase this ratio....
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...We assume the intact has an area-to-mass ratio of 0.01 m2/kg (Kaula, 1983) and does not deploy an end-of-life sail-like device to increase this ratio....
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...01 m(2)/kg (Kaula, 1983) and does not deploy an end-of-life sail-like device to increase this ratio. The intact is initally in a circular orbit at 950 km, and by Eq. (B.10), its initial velocity is 7.375 km/s. Fig. 6-2 of NASA Safety Standard 1740.14 (1995) gives orbits as (perigee, apogee) pairs for various area-to-mass ratios that decay naturally in 25 years....
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...Recommended values for the A/M ratio for intacts range between 2× 10−3 and 2 × 10−2 m(2)/kg (Kaula, 1983), which yield residence times of between 5....
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...Recommended values for the A/M ratio for intacts range between 2× 10−3 and 2 × 10−2 m2/kg (Kaula, 1983), which yield residence times of between 5.5× 103 and 5.5× 104 years....
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Book•

Theory of satellite orbits in an atmosphere

[...]

Desmond King-Hele

01 Jan 1964

219 citations

"Space debris: Assessing risk and re..." refers background or methods in this paper

...The values for the collision rate parameters βαγ, the fragment generation parameters δ τκ αγ, and the decay rates μα are found by physical modeling (Alberty & Silbey, 1997; King-Hele, 1964) and calculations using the empirical probability distributions and formulas describing satellite fragmentation and fragment characteristics developed in Johnson et al....
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...…incorporating physical principles for collision rates (Alberty & Silbey, 1997), decay rates (Rossi et al., 1994), and orbital trajectories (King-Hele, 1964), as well as rocket body and spacecraft characteristics (Kessler, 2000) and the fragmentation models and empirical distributions…...
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...A satellite sweeps out an area of an ellipse at constant rate r2θ̇ = h (King-Hele, 1964, Eq....
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...(3.20) in King-Hele (1964)....
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..., 1994), and orbital trajectories (King-Hele, 1964), as well as rocket body and spacecraft characteristics (Kessler, 2000) and the fragmentation models and empirical distributions developed in Johnson et al....
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