{"id":49151,"date":"2024-07-11T09:57:44","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T08:57:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=49151"},"modified":"2024-07-11T09:57:44","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T08:57:44","slug":"mitigating-the-risks-of-space-debris-in-the-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/mitigating-the-risks-of-space-debris-in-the-uk\/49151\/","title":{"rendered":"Mitigating the risks of space debris in the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"

Space plays an increasingly crucial role in our daily lives, and the issues of space debris and a greater need for sustainability<\/a> are looming large.<\/h2>\n

Imagine a scenario where everyday services like TV, navigation, weather forecasting, and online banking are disrupted due to a satellite collision.<\/p>\n

This is a rising concern and why the UK government is taking bold steps to mitigate the risks associated with space debris by investing in national capabilities and international cooperation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The scale of the debris challenge<\/h3>\n

Statistical models estimate that there are approximately one million pieces of space debris measuring between 1cm and 10cm<\/a>, with a staggering 130 million more pieces between 1mm and 1cm in orbit.<\/p>\n

Of these, around 36,500 objects larger than 10cm are actively tracked, with over 35,000 already catalogued.<\/p>\n

These include relics of the past, such as old satellites, spent rocket bodies, and fragments from previous collisions.<\/p>\n

Active satellites that provide vital services on Earth are at risk of collision with other satellites and the huge quantity of human-made debris in orbit around our planet.<\/p>\n

Therefore, it is crucial that the UK promotes the responsible use of space through a combination of regulation, development of sustainability standards, technological advancements, missions like debris removal, and robust surveillance and tracking services<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How the UK is tackling space debris<\/h3>\n

The UK, in accordance with the National Space Strategy<\/a>, is ramping up its efforts in space sustainability.<\/p>\n

This includes two Active Debris Removal Phase B mission studies which were awarded to Astroscale and ClearSpace in September 2022.<\/p>\n

These will help the UK Space Agency decide which mission concept to take forward to a fully-fledged design and launch phase, culminating in 2026 with a demonstration of the nation\u2019s capability to rendezvous, dock with, and deorbit two defunct UK satellites.<\/p>\n

Astroscale<\/strong><\/p>\n

The UK Space Agency is funding Astroscale to continue developing its technology and capability to remove unprepared inactive satellites from Low Earth Orbit (LEO).<\/p>\n

The Cleaning Outer Space Mission through Innovative Capture<\/a> (COSMIC) will harness Astroscale\u2019s Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) and robotic debris capture capabilities to remove 2 defunct UK satellites currently orbiting Earth by 2026.<\/p>\n