Space Debris, any human-made object that no longer serves a purpose, is becoming a new safety problem in space. Existing in fragments as small as millimeters to as big as more than ten centimeters, space debris orbits around the Earth in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) at speeds up to 28,000 kilometers per hour. At those high velocities, collisions with objects can cause significant damage to any spacecraft. But why should we care about the collisions of satellites? That is because modern human lives rely on satellites that provide telecommunications, forecasting, money transactions, and GPS. Satellites play a vital role in our society today, so damage to their infrastructure can threaten it. To reduce the amount of space debris, national governments and space companies should introduce Active Debris Removal (ADR) and require all satellites to include a disposal system.
First, let’s dig in more to the current situation of space debris. According to a report from the European Space Agency (ESA), as of 2025, the number of space debris objects orbiting Earth larger than 1cm in size is estimated to be over 1.2 million, with about 50,000 objects that are larger than 10cm in size. Also, fragmentation events such as collisions and accidents have led to an increase in the number of space debris, since at least 3,000 objects have been added because of fragmentation in 2024. This is problematic, as such an increase in space debris will represent a higher probability of more collisions with spacecraft, leading to repeated collisions that could produce a self-sustaining increase in the number of debris, making certain orbits dangerous to use. This also leads to detrimental effects, as damage to the satellites can disrupt necessary services and cause economic losses. The cost of replacing them and launching them back to orbit adds to the financial burden of space companies and nations. To mitigate those impacts, several space agencies and companies are testing multiple methods. For instance, ESA is testing its ADR technology in the ClearSpace-1 mission, where it will capture a satellite that has served its mission in LEO. This kind of effort can be seen as well in American space company SpaceX’s Starlink satellites: they have automated collision-avoiding maneuvers, so that they can automatically avoid other objects while they are in operation. These efforts are valuable in resolving this issue, but improvements are still needed to ensure safety in orbit.
One possible method is Active Debris Removal. As the ESA has been testing, it is one of the most direct ways to remove the objects. ADR has many concepts, but most of them have a chaser spacecraft that rendezvous with space debris and removes it from its orbit. There are different ways to remove the objects, but the renowned method is to capture the debris and move it out of Earth orbit. In this way, the ADR will remove the largest and highest-risk objects first, as they are most likely to create additional collisions. This might look like an ideal method, but it requires highly precise operations and the launching of chaser spacecraft. Also, the spacecraft must be equipped with docking technology and be able to capture objects of different sizes. The ADR also faces challenges with funding, as not a lot of countries or companies are willing to develop further technologies of ADR because they are not profitable compared to other spacecraft. Even though this is the most direct way of removing space debris, these challenges make it more difficult for it to be generally used. Still, multiple companies and space agencies are working on ADR technology, so there is space for further improvements to be made.
Another method is simply requiring all satellites launched to include their own disposal system at the end of their service. After their service, most satellites in LEO drop into the atmosphere, where they will burn up. But in higher orbits such as Geostationary Orbit (GEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), it requires too much fuel for reentry into the atmosphere, so they will move higher into “graveyard orbits” where it is highly unlikely to interfere with working satellites. In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires all new spacecraft launched to LEO to include their end-of-life plan within 5 years after their service. This has replaced the older requirement of 25 years, so it shows that the regulations are getting stricter. However, disposal systems are only effective if satellites remain functional until the end of their missions. Unexpected failures can prevent a satellite from carrying out its disposal plan, leaving it as space debris. Therefore, regulations should also require reliable backup systems, passivation, and procedures for managing satellites that lose control before disposal.
As the number of satellites in orbit is increasing at a much faster rate nowadays, the problem of space debris is getting worse. Removing those objects from orbit using different methods, such as the ADR and regulations, is now pivotal in satellite safety. Without such efforts, the Earth's orbits will be full of space debris, which will threaten the lives of satellites and will lead to the production of more fragments in space. Thus, it is important to take care of space debris.
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