The FCC Finally Starts Taking Space Junk Seriously
upstart writes:
The FCC Finally Starts Taking Space Junk Seriously:
[...] A new proposal by the agency [FCC] would implement a five year limit for letting your dead satellite stick around in space:
Currently, a legally non-binding NASA advisory recommends that satellite operators either remove their satellites from orbit immediately post-mission, or leave them in an orbit that will slowly decay and have the satellite entering Earth's atmosphere sometime in a 25 year period.
But leaving this number of defunct satellites in orbit to fall apart over decades is no longer practical given how crowded space is getting [...]:
Defunct satellites, discarded rocket cores, and other debris now fill the space environment creating challenges for future missions. Moreover, there are more than 4,800 satellites currently operating in orbit as of the end of last year, and the vast majority of those are commercial satellites operating at altitudes below 2,000 km-the upper limit for LEO. Many of these were launched in the past two years alone, and projections for future growth suggest that there are many more to come.
Enter the new five year rule, which provides a two-year grandfather period to allow satellite operators to adjust. Satellites that are currently stumbling drunkenly around orbit with no purpose are exempt from the new rule.
Read more of this story at SoylentNews.