ROOM
22
Special Report
Mark A. Skinner
Boeing Research
& Technology,
Albuquerque, New
Mexico
F
rom the point of view of an SSA practitioner,
what are the key issues and dangers
surrounding the current situation in the GEO
belt? And what is the best possible set of
near-term actions involving international cooperation
through bodies such as the United Nations
Committee On the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN
COPUOS), data sharing between actors in the space
arena, public and private sector SSA efforts, and
nascent research efforts into active space debris
removal? Where should limited available resources be
applied to effect the best possible outcome?
Key issues and dangers
Satellites in GEO operate in a harsh environment
(including being in a vacuum and having to deal
with natural and artificial hazards such as increased
radiation and charged particles, orbital debris, space
Urgent action needed
to keep satellites
safe in orbit
The geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite belt is a unique location above
Earth affording a continuous line-of-sight to satellite uplink and downlink
stations. The volume defined by this belt - the altitude at which the orbital
period exactly matches the rotation of Earth - is large but available slots are
limited. Increasingly over the last 50 years, it has become more crowded
as humankind has launched more and more satellites. Uncontrolled,
incapacitated satellites and an ever growing amount of space debris
pose significant hazards - and the only way for satellite operators to
avoid collisions with space objects is to manoeuvre them out of harm’s
way. Knowing when and where to manoeuvre requires space situational
awareness (SSA) - just one aspect needed to maintain safety of flight in this
highly valuable orbital regime.
