Addressing the Kessler Syndrome (i.e., orbit overpopulation leading to object/satellite collisions that greatly affect space access) starts by accurately tracking everything in space, no matter how small. A 1-mm-wide fleck of paint might seem like nothing, but when traveling at 17,500 mph, it could cause severe damage to the ISS, endangering human life. Algorithms only work if they are fed good data. This Advisor describes some technologies that could help in tracking, monitoring, and removal (see Table 1).

LeoLabs

LeoLabs has developed an Earth-based, global radar network that tracks space objects in real time and populates a dynamic living map of tracked objects. Its proprietary algorithms predict and notify of potential collisions, recent maneuvers, and patterns throughout an object’s or satellite’s operational life. The radar network:

• Covers 300-2,500 km in altitude

• Tracks 250,000 objects, with >2 cm capability, 10x a day

• Focuses on radar over laser (radar is more efficient for scanning an area, laser is more effective for tracking a specific object)

L3Harris

L3Harris provides a system that detects, tracks, and identifies all man-made objects in orbit. It combines ground- and space-based sensors with radar technologies.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions developed a system that uses radio frequency sensors to detect satellite signals and locate them within 150 meters with a rapid revisit rate (30 minutes) in all weather. This type of system is designed to address the gaps that radar/optical systems tend to have, and its higher-accuracy scans lead to better predictions of potential collisions.

Deimos Space

Deimos Sky Survey is an advanced complex used to detect, observe, survey, track, characterize, identify, and catalog near-Earth space objects. It also aids in determining the risk of collision and provides actions to prevent or mitigate collisions.

State-of-the-art 3D models and algorithms use this type of data to create usable platforms to monitor one’s satellites and the objects endangering them. Moving a satellite for a 1:10,000 chance of collision can’t continue to be the norm. Imagine if people driving on the highway constantly changed lanes because of these types of collision chances — it would be dangerous and inefficient!

Next, we describe a selection of software platforms that could help in monitoring potential risks.

OKAPI:Orbits

A monitoring platform from OKAPI:Orbits compiles all data pertaining to a satellite (GPS, propulsion system, attitude, location of other objects/debris) to automate the generation of collision warnings and maneuver recommendations.

Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin’s iSpace processes and correlates available data from optical, radar, and radio sensors to provide a real-time depiction of space objects, as well as collision and maneuver recommendations.

Next, we showcase technology tools to remotely remove objects in orbit. Some companies are launching satellites to capture old satellites and send them on a reentry trajectory (where they burn up safely upon entering our atmosphere). Some are developing ground-based technology to move objects remotely by altering their momentum.

Lumi Space

Laser momentum transfer (LMT) technology from Lumi Space detects and moves objects in orbit, from Earth. The object’s changed momentum causes a decaying orbit that leads to it burning up in the atmosphere. LMT technology:

• Uses satellite laser ranging to precisely determine orbits

• Predicts orbits more precisely and further into the future

• Informs an API that connects to client software

• Plays a critical role in STM and laser-width adjustment (due to its adaptive optical systems)

• Provides a cost-effective solution for space debris mitigation

• Clears the path for satellites, saving operators money and increasing lifespan

• Ensures space safety

OrbitGuardians

OrbitGuardians’s system sends a satellite into orbit to rendezvous with an object and “push” (momentum transfer) it into a decaying orbit to burn up in the atmosphere. Its benefits are: (1) one satellite can be used to de-orbit hundreds of objects in one mission; and (2) it offers economies of scale (the more objects to “push” in one mission, the lower the price per push).

[For more from the author on this topic, see: “Decoding Space Waste: Awareness, Concern, Action.”]