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Listen to the podcast at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1775212/8794454

Show notes

The human race is making another mess – this time it’s in orbit.

Broadcaster Kim McAllister and space expert Dr Murray Collins discuss the issue of space junk with experts whose work is suffering and with the entrepreneurs who are trying to solve the problem.

Andy Lawrence is Regius Professor of Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh and author of the book “Losing the Sky”, detailing the problems of space junk.

Harriet Brettle is Head of Business Analysis at Astroscale UK, where they are testing technology to remove space debris and Ralph ‘Dinz’ Dinsley is founder of NORSS (Northern Space & Security Ltd) and surveying the sky to categorise the junk.

Great British Lift Off is a Connect production sponsored by The Science and Technology Facilities Council and the Data Driven Innovation Programme.

The Science and Technology Facilities Council part of UK Research and Innovation  is proud to co-sponsor The Great British Lift-off.
As well as leading on UK space missions, we support business-driven innovation, by opening our doors to companies of all sizes. We offer access to our facilities, equipment, expertise and networks to accelerate the route to market for new disruptive technologies up in space and down on earth. Your partner in space.

For more about how we support business:

• Edinburgh: http://higgscentre.org/
• Harwell Space Cluster: https://www.harwellcampus.com/space-cluster/
• ESA BIC UK: esa-bic.org.uk

 Th Data Driven Innovation initiative is delivered by the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University for the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. We are an innovation network helping organisations tackle challenges for industry and society by doing data right to support Edinburgh in its ambition to become the data capital of Europe.

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Abstract

The rapid development of mega-constellations risks multiple tragedies of the commons, including tragedies to ground-based astronomy, Earth orbit, and Earth’s upper atmosphere. Moreover, the connections between the Earth and space environments are inadequately taken into account by the adoption of a consumer electronic model applied to space assets. For example, we point out that satellite re-entries from the Starlink mega-constellation alone could deposit more aluminum into Earth’s upper atmosphere than what is done through meteoroids; they could thus become the dominant source of high-altitude alumina. Using simple models, we also show that untracked debris will lead to potentially dangerous on-orbit collisions on a regular basis due to the large number of satellites within mega-constellation orbital shells. The total cross-section of satellites in these constellations also greatly increases the risk of impacts due to meteoroids. De facto orbit occupation by single actors, inadequate regulatory frameworks, and the possibility of free-riding exacerbate these risks. International cooperation is urgently needed, along with a regulatory system that takes into account the effects of tens of thousands of satellites.

Extract:

Companies are placing satellites into orbit at an unprecedented frequency to build ‘mega-constellations’ of communications satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). In two years, the number of active and defunct satellites in LEO has increased by over 50%, to about 5000 (as of 30 March 2021). SpaceX alone is on track to add 11,000 more as it builds its Starlink mega-constellation and has already filed for permission for another 30,000 satellites with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)¹. Others have similar plans, including OneWeb, Amazon, Telesat, and GW, which is a Chinese state-owned company². The current governance system for LEO, while slowly changing, is ill-equipped to handle large satellite systems. Here, we outline how applying the consumer electronic model to satellites could lead to multiple tragedies of the commons. Some of these are well known, such as impediments to astronomy and an increased risk of space debris, while others have received insufficient attention, including changes to the chemistry of Earth’s upper atmosphere and increased dangers on Earth’s surface from re-entered debris. The heavy use of certain orbital regions might also result in a de facto exclusion of other actors from them, violating the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.

The authors: “there is little recognition that Earth’s orbit is a finite resource, the space and Earth environments are connected, and the actions of one actor can affect everyone. Until that changes, we risk multiple tragedies of the commons in space.”

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-89909-7

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