Introduction
Author
Isabelle Jacobson
PHYS F211X F06, Fall 2018
Professor David Newman
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Space Debris Removal Systems

Space debris low in Earth's orbit has become a significant threat to current and future spacecraft missions.

  • Space debris can collide with and damage spacecraft.
  • These collisions contribute to the cascade effect of space debris.
  • As a result, space debris has become smaller and harder to detect by current systems.

If you are interested in learning about possible methods for active debris removal and technological methods of detecting and avoiding debris, continue reading »

What is the Problem?

This is an exaggerated figure showing the realistic spacing of debris in Earth's orbit. 22

Artificially made space debris orbiting close to Earth has become an immediate danger to existing and future spacecraft. As global interest in space continues to develop, the threat to the safety of future spacecraft increases as well. In order to address and eliminate the direct threat of the debris, the scientific community needs to develop retrieval systems to physically remove debris before the problem becomes too large to impact without great expense.