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Space debris

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Full-Text Articles in Space Vehicles

Earth’S Orbital Prison: Codifying Customary Law To Prevent Environmental Catastrophe In Space, Jacob Cook Nov 2025

Earth’S Orbital Prison: Codifying Customary Law To Prevent Environmental Catastrophe In Space, Jacob Cook

Space and Defense

This article argues that the accelerating proliferation of space debris in low Earth orbit (LEO) poses an existential threat to the sustainability of the orbital environment—one comparable in strategic gravity to nuclear deterrence during the Cold War. Drawing on liberal internationalist theory and the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD), the paper asserts that deliberate satellite destruction through anti-satellite (ASAT) testing and negligent debris generation risk triggering a self-sustaining cascade of collisions known as the Kessler Syndrome. Existing treaties, including the Outer Space Treaty and the Artemis Accords, lack enforceable mechanisms to prevent such catastrophic harm. To fill this …


Towards Accountability: A Primer On The Space Debris Problem And An Overview Of The Legal Issues Surrounding It, William Schonberg Jul 2025

Towards Accountability: A Primer On The Space Debris Problem And An Overview Of The Legal Issues Surrounding It, William Schonberg

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Since 1957, the near-Earth population of trackable space objects has grown in number to over 36,000. Of these 36,000+ trackable objects now in low Earth orbit, just a few thousand are working spacecraft. The rest are Earth-orbiting objects which are no longer operational and are considered to be space junk. Because this junk can no longer receive maneuvering commands from its Earth-based owners, the survivability of other spacecraft traveling through or operating in Earth orbit can be jeopardized by the impacts of any number of pieces of this space junk, whose origins can usually be traced back to defunct satellites. …


Ridds: Removal Of Irregular Debris Using Double Nets, Kayann Coote Oct 2024

Ridds: Removal Of Irregular Debris Using Double Nets, Kayann Coote

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The quantity of debris in Earth’s orbit is increasing at an alarming rate, and without a sustainable solution, this will detriment the space environment, impacting the future of space travel and space traffic management. While numerous debris removal concepts and designs have been proposed, very few have made it to actual flight tests, and none can remove debris at a fast enough rate to stop debris growth. For debris currently in orbit, most proposed systems are costly on a large scale and cannot adapt to the wide variety of debris shape and geometry and tumbling. The purpose of the proposed …


Glue-Infused Rotating Nanofibers Net (Gronnet) For Capturing Space Debris- A Novel Debris Capturing System, Sneha M. Raibagi, Prithvi S.J. Monteiro, Rashmi K. Pallam, Amogh Anantha Murthy, Amit G. Gadag, Sharanabasaweshwara Asundi, Oleksandr Kravchenko Jan 2020

Glue-Infused Rotating Nanofibers Net (Gronnet) For Capturing Space Debris- A Novel Debris Capturing System, Sneha M. Raibagi, Prithvi S.J. Monteiro, Rashmi K. Pallam, Amogh Anantha Murthy, Amit G. Gadag, Sharanabasaweshwara Asundi, Oleksandr Kravchenko

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

It is evident that space debris is a growing concern, particularly in the low altitude Earth orbits, and if not addressed in time, may have a drastic socio-economic impact on civilization. This paper describes the Glue-infused Rotating Nanofibers Net (GRoNNet), a novel debris capturing system for pico/nano/micro-satellites (PNMSats). GRoNNet is designed as a modular, cost-effective system with the capability to capture target debris in multiple attempts and expedite its re-entry by attaching a debris mitigation system. It may be best described by comparing it with a chameleon’s tongue but several hundreds/thousands of them infused with a thick honey-like viscous adhesive …


Parameter Study Of An Orbital Debris Defender Using Two Team, Three Player Differential Game Theory, David F. Spendel Mar 2018

Parameter Study Of An Orbital Debris Defender Using Two Team, Three Player Differential Game Theory, David F. Spendel

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Air Force and other national agencies rely on numerous space assets to project their doctrine. However, space is becoming an increasingly congested, contested, and competitive environment. A common risk mitigation strategy for the orbit debris problem is either performing evasive maneuvers, or placing additional shielding on the satellite before launch. Current risk mitigation strategies have significant consequences to satellite operators and may not produce sufficient risk mitigation. This research poses that an orbital debris defender, which would defend the primary satellite from orbital debris, may be a more effective risk mitigation strategy. By assuming the worst case …


The Issues And Complexities Surrounding The Future Of Long Duration Spaceflight, Solomon Miiro May 2017

The Issues And Complexities Surrounding The Future Of Long Duration Spaceflight, Solomon Miiro

Graduate Student Works

The Comprehensive Exam put forward by this proposal is intended to address the learning objectives covered by the Master of Aeronautical Science Degree with specializations in Aviation Aerospace Safety Systems and some limited aspects in Human Factors in Aviation Systems. This will be accomplished by researching the following topics: effects of long duration spaceflight on crew performance and functioning and the steps that should be taken to enable long term spaceflight mission crews in lieu of accomplishing important missions; a human factor analysis should current human-machine design interfaces be enhanced to make manual rendezvous and docking in space easier to …


Orbit Determination Using Vinti's Solution, Steven P. Wright Sep 2016

Orbit Determination Using Vinti's Solution, Steven P. Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Orbital altitudes congested with spacecraft and debris combined with recent collisions have all but negated the Big Sky Theory. As the sheer number of orbital objects to track grows unbounded so does interest in prediction methods that are rapid and minimally computational. Claimed as the \other solvable solution, the recently completed solution too orbital motion about the earth, based on Vinti's method and including the major effects of the equatorial bulge, opens up the prospect of much more accurate analytical models for space situational awareness. A preliminary examination of this solution is presented. A numerical state transition matrix is found …


Orbital Debris Removal Technologies: A Hybrid Electrodynamic Tether And Ion Beam Shepherd Satellite Design For Fuel Efficient Contactless Debris Removal, JöRn Mumme Apr 2013

Orbital Debris Removal Technologies: A Hybrid Electrodynamic Tether And Ion Beam Shepherd Satellite Design For Fuel Efficient Contactless Debris Removal, JöRn Mumme

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Space debris poses a serious threat to humanities efforts at space exploration as well as the expanding uses for earth-orbiting satellites. This thesis investigates the proposed technologies for the debris's removal both large and small. Focus is applied to the large debris removal technologies since the small size category is dominated by the ORION laser system. Furthermore, the large debris objects pose the most destructive threat upon impact to satellites. Electrodynamic tethers (EDT) as well as their control strategies, ion-beam shepherds (IBS), and tradition thruster methods are investigated for effectiveness and feasibility. Hybrid combinations of these technologies are investigated in …


Debris Propagation Due To A Space Vehicle Breakup At High Altitudes, Juan A. Alvarado Mar 2012

Debris Propagation Due To A Space Vehicle Breakup At High Altitudes, Juan A. Alvarado

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Recently, there has been a surge of interest in the estimation of the extent of the airspace containing falling debris due to a space vehicle breakup. A precise computation of propagation of debris to the ground is not practical for many reasons. There is insufficient knowledge of the initial state vector, ambient wind conditions and the key parameters including the ballistic coecients. In addition, propagation of all debris pieces to the ground would require extensive computer time. In this thesis, a covariance propagation method is introduced for the estimation of debris propagation due to a space vehicle breakup. The falling …