Ed Campion

Headquarters, Washington, DC June 14, 1995

(Phone: 202/358-1778)

Lee Tune
National Research Council, Washington, DC
(Phone: 202/334-2138)

RELEASE: 95-93

NEW ORBITAL DEBRIS STUDY RELEASED

A new report on orbital debris has determined that

the hazard to spacecraft posed by artificial debris, though
still low, is growing and requires international action.
The report also concluded that the problem needs to be
addressed while it is still manageable and that the nations
of the world should approach the problem with a
cooperative, multi-pronged effort.

The report was funded by NASA and conducted by a

committee of the National Research Council (NRC). This
study is part of an ongoing interagency review of orbital
debris programs and policies presently being carried out under
the direction of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The NRC's report suggests several steps in approaching

the orbital debris problem. First, spacefaring nations
should work together to fill in critical gaps in the data
on the effects of collisions between orbiting objects and
on the amount and sources of debris in orbit to better
estimate the current and future hazard to spacecraft.

Other steps include spacecraft designers being made

more aware of ways to protect spacecraft against debris -
for example, by shielding critical components of the
spacecraft. At the same time, designers should develop and
implement ways to prevent future spacecraft from adding to
the problem.

Assessing the danger of orbital debris accurately is

difficult because of the inherent problem of studying
small, dark objects that are traveling at very high speed,
hundreds or thousands of miles above the Earth. In low-
Earth orbit only objects larger than 4 inches (10
centimeters) across can be tracked by ground-based sensors.
In geostationary orbit, only objects larger than three feet
(one meter) across can be tracked and cataloged.

Objects much smaller than those presently cataloged

can destroy a spacecraft in a collision. Even collisions
that do not destroy a spacecraft can degrade its
performance or cause it to fail.

According to the NRC report, removal of existing

debris from orbit is technically and economically
infeasible, so international efforts should focus on
preventive measures to reduce the future hazard. One step
would be for leftover fuel or other energy sources to be
dissipated from spacecraft and rockets at the end of their
functional lives to ensure they do not explode. Other
steps would include minimizing the release of debris during
launch and on-orbit operation along with maneuvering
rockets or spacecraft at the end of their functional lifetime
either out of the low-Earth orbital region or into orbits that
will carry them back into the Earth's atmosphere.

In their report the NRC committee suggested that an

international group is needed to advise the space community
about the most important questions regarding orbital debris
and how best to answer these questions. Pending creation
of this group, the committee proposed a set of interim
research priorities that includes: carefully studying
uncataloged objects in low-Earth orbit; gaining a better
understanding of small debris by orbiting spacecraft that
carry debris detection experiments; studying debris in
geostationary orbits, through both measurements or modeling
and improving models of debris sources and changes over
time in the amount of debris.

NASA agrees with the concerns reflected in the NRC

report and has taken the initiative to work with the major
spacefaring nations to organize an international technical
effort to develop a common understanding of the orbital
debris environment and to develop techniques and practices
to mitigate the orbital debris hazard.

- end -

Editor's Note: A copy of the report, "Orbital Debris: A

Technical Assessment" is available for review in the
newsroom at NASA Headquarters, 300 E Street, S.W.,
Washington, DC. News media who wish to obtain a copy of
the report should contact the NRC Office of News and Public
Information at (202) 334-2138.

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