Space debris orbiting ‘the new moving plastic island’

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Pieces of unwanted debris left by humans in orbit on the Earth have equated to “a new moving plastic island” in outer space, an expert said.

Ekaterini Kavvada, the European Commission’s director general of Defense and Space Industry, described spaceflight as “not a theoretical threat but a reality” that threatens to damage European and other operational satellites.

Speaking at the 13th European Space Conference, Ms Kavvada said: “Orbiting space debris has become a new mobile plastic island – if I must compare it – it poses a major threat to traffic safety and security and the place. sustainability. ”

Scientific models estimate that more than 128 million pieces of space debris are larger than 1mm, and 34,000 pieces larger than 10cm.

Items as small as 1cm satellite have the ability to completely destroy a satellite due to their fast travel.

Artificial satellites are used in communications, such as satellite television and telephone calls, and navigation, which incorporates the Global Positioning System (GPS).

These types of spacecraft have a place in weather forecasting, storm monitoring and pollution and astronomy.

Ms Kavvada said that, since January 2019, more than 5,000 satellites have been in space, with nearly 2,000 still active.

She said: “We hope – and this is why we cross our fingers every day – that these satellites may be able to deorbit and burn up in the atmosphere, when the useful life ready. ”

However, Ms Kavvada warned that nearly 3,000 inactive satellites are moving into space, with recent data showing that there have been more than 500 crashes or explosions of these spacecraft, resulting in thereupon it was broken.

She said that if a network of networked satellites, known as mega constellations, were added to space, there would be a likelihood of Kessler syndrome – a chain reaction where more and more materials collided to create new space waste to the space. the extent to which the Earth’s orbit could not be used.

Ms Kavvada said: “This already looks like an accident waiting to happen.”

Rolf Densing, director of operations at the European Space Agency, who also spoke at the space conference, said: “We live in a time when mega constellations are under construction, and the number of materials in existence the orbit around us grows by the thousands every year.

“So, now, we have about 1,000 starlink satellites in orbit.

“By the end of the decade, we will be talking about tens of thousands of satellites in orbit around us. ”

Mr Densing said the ESA’s European Space Action Center (ESOC) was earning “hundreds of jobs in disasters” on a fleet of around 20 satellites the organization operates.

He said: “On average every two weeks, we need to move on to avoid hitting. ”

Ms Kavvada said there was a need to limit the production of space debris, avoid the generation of new debris, and develop instruments to remove conventional space debris to “ensure long-term sustainability of space”. .

She said: “Even in a theoretical scenario where other objects are not added to the space environment, the results of simulations from the ESA and Nasa show that the critical density reached in LEO (orbit) low of the Earth) as much as a discount by itself. no more. ”

Ms Kavvada said: “So, today, if we don’t respond safely and in good time … the consequences will be devastating.”

Last year, the UK Government provided £ 1 million to seven private companies to help monitor space waste as part of the space inspection and monitoring (SST) program.

The UK will also play a key role in the construction of The Claw, the first ever satellite to remove space debris.

As part of the ESA Clearspace-1 mission scheduled for 2025, the Claw will use a pincer movement to collect debris, before re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere under control, allowing it to rot safely and away from life. .

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