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 »

Space Debris

    Space debris in Earth’s lower orbit have become a global threat to the future of spacecraft.1 Spacecraft currently orbiting Earth or entering Earth’s orbit can collide with the debris, resulting in detrimental impacts to the spacecraft that can damage or completely destroy the technology or structural elements of the spacecraft. As this debris collides with spacecraft and with other debris, the resulting remnants of debris become increasingly smaller and more widespread. This widespread debris is called a debris cloud, and as the pieces of debris within the cloud become increasingly smaller, they become harder to detect and therefore more challenging to avoid or remove.