On-orbit Satellite Collision Options

[ElkGroveDan]

Two satellites collide in orbit
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD

Posted: February 11, 2009

In an unprecedented space collision, a commercial Iridium communications satellite and a presumably defunct Russian Cosmos satellite ran into each other Tuesday above northern Siberia, creating a cloud of wreckage, officials said today.

Iridium satellite
An artist's concept of an Iridium satellite orbiting the Earth. Photo: Iridium

The international space station does not appear to be threatened by the debris, they said, but it's not yet clear whether it poses a risk to any other military or civilian satellites.

"They collided at an altitude of 790 kilometers (491 miles) over northern Siberia Tuesday about noon Washington time," said Nicholas Johnson, NASA's chief scientist for orbital debris at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. "The U.S. space surveillance network detected a large number of debris from both objects."

MORE.....


http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0902/11iridium/

[Vultur]

It will be interesting to see how (or if) regulatory bodies will respond. (For that matter, what regulatory body would have jurisdiction? The US government could make laws requiring the US companies to take precautions, but they have no authority over non-US companies, or the space agencies of other nations. It seems unlikely that the UN will respond, but you never know...)

[Leither]

It will be interesting to see how (or if) regulatory bodies will respond. ...... It seems unlikely that the UN will respond, but you never know...)

Well we might not have to wait too long……in July 08 the UN General Assembly recommendation that the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space should consider space debris as an agenda item at it next session. The next session (the 46th) started on 9th Feb 09 in Vienna and according to the agenda (published in Dec 08) it’s due to discuss space debris this Monday/Tuesday (16 -17 Feb 09). What timing…no guesses as to what they will be talking about! It will probably be a closed session but the daily report might be interesting.

The GA also ”.. noted with appreciation that some States were already implementing space debris mitigation measures on a voluntary basis, through national mechanisms and consistent with the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee Guidelines and the Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines …..(and) invited other Member States to implement, through relevant national mechanisms, the Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines.” Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines cover both Prevention of on-orbit collisions and Post-mission disposal.