Amazon Satellite Launcher's Chief Throws Bold Proposals To Tackle Space Debris Threat

The CEO of United Launch Alliance (ULA), a competitor to Elon Musk‘s SpaceX, has outlined his ideas for addressing the issue of space debris as private companies strive to commercialize and make space travel more accessible.

What Happened: ULA CEO Tory Bruno considers orbital debris to be a pressing matter that needs attention today, rather than tomorrow’s problem. 

In a blog post, Bruno acknowledged that while the space community was aware of the risks associated with irresponsible behavior in orbit, not much has been done about it. 

The number of objects in low Earth orbit has more than doubled since 2019, making the situation even more critical, and Bruno emphasized that giving up on space was not an option.

Bruno proposed assigning financial responsibility for major space spills and extending the legal framework governing activities above sea levels to the space domain. End-of-life satellites and expended stages should either be deorbited to a designated storage orbit or completely ejected from Earth’s orbit. 

He suggested that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) establish a net-neutral debris generation standard, where objects left to decay naturally must acquire orbital debris credits, similar to carbon credits. Companies practicing responsible behavior would be rewarded with these credits. 

Amazon.com, Inc‘s AMZN first two satellites to space- Kuipersat-1 and Kuipersat-2– are now expected to be launched on the maiden flight of ULA’s Vulcan Centaur rocket in summer from Florida.

Additionally, Bruno recommended that second parties be allowed to salvage existing debris for credits, thus incentivizing companies to develop methods for capturing and removing space debris.

Bruno also emphasized the importance of the United States using its soft power to enforce compliance with international players by making space environmental standards a requirement for doing business with the country. 

Why It Matters: In March, scientists from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of Plymouth called for a legally-binding treaty to safeguard Earth’s orbit from the negative impacts of the space industry’s rapid growth. They warned that failure to achieve global consensus on effective governance could render parts of Earth’s orbit unusable.

According to estimates, there are already over 100 trillion untracked pieces of old satellites orbiting the planet, highlighting the urgency of the situation.

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