The World Economic Forum (WEF) has published a new set of guidelines aimed at reducing orbital debris formation, with support from some of the major satellite operators. The document “Recommendations for Reducing Debris in the Space Industry”, published by the WEF on June 13, contains recommendations for avoiding collisions that can create debris by limiting the lifespan of satellites in orbit after completing their mission, and improving coordination among satellite operators.

These recommendations include setting the “post-mission destruction” or the success rate of removing satellites from orbit after mission completion to 95%-99%. This divestment must be completed no later than five years after the end of each satellite’s mission.

Although the U.S. Federal Communications Commission passed a new rule last September that cuts that timeframe to five years for satellites, current international guidelines, often incorporated into national legislation, set a destruction period of up to 25 years after a mission has ended. obtaining a license or entering the market. access from the agency. Even with the 25-year norm, compliance was below 50% for some indicators.

“We wanted to push the boundaries a little bit on some of these specific goals,” Mykola Khlistov, head of WEF’s Future of Space initiative, said in a panel discussion at the Secure World Foundation’s Space Sustainability Summit on June 13. He said it aims to build on WEF’s past work, including developing the Space Sustainability Rating, which assesses how well satellite systems meet best practices for safe and sustainable space operations.

Other recommendations in the document require the satellites to be maneuverable, preferably via onboard propulsion, when operating at altitudes above 375 kilometers. Satellite operators must respond to “all reasonable and legal requests” from other operators to coordinate space traffic and share orbital data.

The document urges governments to adopt new post-mission disposal guidelines and mandate the use of active debris removal systems for space facilities that cannot meet such systems once they become “practical and commercially available.” It also recommends greater investment in space intelligence capabilities and encourages the exchange of data on the orbits of space objects.

Khlistov said the document’s target audience is interested parties outside the industry as well as satellite communications operators. “You can take this document to policymakers, investors and other stakeholders and say that most of the industry is here.”

At the time of publication, 27 companies supported the document. These include companies that operate large satellite groups such as OneWeb, Planet, and Spire, as well as a mix of other established and emerging space companies.

Among them is GHGSat, a Canadian company with nine small satellites in orbit to monitor greenhouse gas emissions. “Even before we had this discussion, we needed to find new applications for space sustainability,” Bryn Orth-Lashley, GHGSat’s director of technical operations and service delivery, told the panel. “It hasn’t been that hard of a climb.”

He noted that the company’s satellites do not have an onboard engine, but can maneuver using alternative means such as differential drag to obey instructions. The company will continue to operate the satellites before they re-enter the atmosphere after completing commercial missions, including evasive maneuvers.

But some large companies did not sign it. These include SpaceX, which operates the Starlink system and the largest satellite constellation, and Amazon, which developed the Project Kouiper constellation. Even some satellite operators that support the importance of space sustainability, such as Viasat, are not included.

Khlystov said the WEF is making a “fairly comprehensive effort” to attract as many satellite operators as possible. “If some members haven’t signed up, I don’t think it’s a sign that they’re against these standards,” he said, noting that there was “pretty much input” from operators that weren’t among the 27 signatories. .

“I was very encouraged by this process,” he continued. “We had very good discussions. Not everyone who participated in the discussions participated, but they were all very interested.” Source