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    • Applicability Of Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines

    Paper number

    IAC-07-E6.3.04

    Author

    Mr. Luciano Belviso, Italy

    Year

    2007

    Abstract
    Key words: space debris, mitigation techniques, environmental protection of space, national space legislations.


 
Space debris represent one of the major issues for the future development and exploitation of space by all spacefaring nations. 
There are many possible means of reducing the debris hazard to future space operations. These include actions taken as a spacecraft enters orbit, during operations, and after its functional lifetime. Despite the large range of possible techniques, two criteria to evaluate them are mostly taken into account: cost and effectiveness. In this paper, a wide analysis of possible mitigation techniques will be considered relating the potential of a given technique with its applicability and the possibility to become part of specific guidelines.

In 2005 the Scientific-Technical Subcommittee of  COPUOS expressed the preference to consider non obligatory guidelines as the most appropriate solution to the problem of space debris rather than a treaty. The working group on space debris promptly developed a document on space debris mitigation using the basis of the technical content of the IADC ? space debris mitigation guidelines. These guidelines address four areas of concern including:
- Limitation of debris released during normal operations.
- Minimization of the potential for on-orbit breack-ups.
- Postmission disposal.
- Prevention of on-orbit collisions.
Even though the IADC guidelines frepresent the basis  for a new regulatory regime of mitigation, the problem concerning the  legal instrument by which the international community would accept these guidelines remains still unsolved..
Besides this problem  many other aspects of the technical applicability of these guidelines of these remain to be addressed.
In this paper, we will analyze each guideline under a double profile, technical and legal, in order to evaluate what could be the concrete advantage as well as what are the major issue to be solved.
    Abstract document

    IAC-07-E6.3.04.pdf

    Manuscript document

    IAC-07-E6.3.04.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

    To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.