Security issues in space-based operations: the need to control the orbit´s overpopulation to ensure a safe access and use of space

The development of the technology used for space applications, along with the decreasing investment that is needed, has fostered the inclusion of new actors in the space business in what is known as the “New Space”. The number of participants in the market is growing exceptionally fast and one finds a poor, if any, regulation for very complex activities in space that might produce irreversible effects if all their phases, from the design to the final disposal and including several potential contingencies, are not considered and do not follow a set of rules.

Overpopulation of the common orbits, especially in low Earth orbits, increases the probability of collisions between satellites which, were it to happen, would pollute the orbit with small sized fragmentation debris. The cloud of fragmented parts becomes a hazard for other satellites sharing the same or nearby orbits, forcing to perform more collision avoidance manoeuvres. This situation arises new problems. On the one hand, there is an increasing number of small satellites (i.e. cubesats) with no capability to manoeuvre. Their propulsion system might not be able to react early enough as to avoid a potential collision. With the satellites population continuously growing, the situation is getting worse. On the other hand, the debris tracking systems can trace particles down to a minimum size, but smaller pieces cannot be monitored. These ones might result in the total loss of the spacecraft if a collision were to occur and their population increase needs to be avoided. Polluting the orbits increases the risk of economic losses, because a satellite could be totally damaged, but also because the orbit might become inaccessible for other users and their business could not be developed. Last but not least, there is a fundamental interest in certain orbits for Earth’s resources and environment monitoring, and a safe continuation of such activities must be ensured, as they represent a need for our civilisation.

The satellite traffic needs to be regulated and the final disposal activities ensured. Small satellites in low Earth orbit are likely to disintegrate during the re-entry in the atmosphere, although some parts, especially in bigger spacecraft, can reach the surface of the Earth. The probability of causing any damage is very low, but the growing number of satellites increases the chances of satellite residues producing damages. The disposal requires a reliable technology that performs the deorbit in a controlled way, and over a region of the Earth with minimum possibility of causing any damage. Higher orbits have designed disposal orbits were non-operational spacecraft are being stored, and that should also follow a regulation in order to avoid future problems.

This talk describes the problematics that are associated with the operations of the space market in different orbits and the need of a set of rules that any actor, regardless of being a space agency or a private company, is required to follow.