Europe In Talks With SpaceX On Tackling Space Junk (reuters.com) 6
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: The European Space Agency is in talks with SpaceX about the possibility of Elon Musk's space venture joining an international charter designed to reduce a growing swarm of debris in space, Director General Josef Aschbacher told Reuters. The 22-nation agency is spearheading one of several efforts to roll back the mass of space junk swirling round the planet from past missions that poses a risk to active satellites. Aschbacher said 110 countries or entities have joined ESA's Zero Debris charter, which aims to stop any new orbital garbage being generated by 2030.
Asked whether SpaceX, whose satellites now make up some two thirds of spacecraft active in low Earth orbit, had signed up, Aschbacher said: "Not yet, but we are in discussion with them... This is a charter that keeps evolving and... we will keep raising the topics because they are so fundamental." [...] There are currently 18,897 pieces of trackable space junk in orbit, according to Jonathan McDowell, a Harvard astronomer who tracks such objects. Space debris and junk are often used interchangeably, but some consider space junk to include inactive payloads and rocket bodies as well as debris, or errant shards of broken satellites. There are no international laws on debris, but countries and space agencies have begun in recent years to devise proposals and national rules for tackling the problem.
Asked whether SpaceX, whose satellites now make up some two thirds of spacecraft active in low Earth orbit, had signed up, Aschbacher said: "Not yet, but we are in discussion with them... This is a charter that keeps evolving and... we will keep raising the topics because they are so fundamental." [...] There are currently 18,897 pieces of trackable space junk in orbit, according to Jonathan McDowell, a Harvard astronomer who tracks such objects. Space debris and junk are often used interchangeably, but some consider space junk to include inactive payloads and rocket bodies as well as debris, or errant shards of broken satellites. There are no international laws on debris, but countries and space agencies have begun in recent years to devise proposals and national rules for tackling the problem.
Not sure how this would help (Score:4, Interesting)
SpaceX's Starlink satellites are in such a low orbit, they deorbit in just a few years, with five years being design time for deorbit, so they're not relevant. About the only change I can think of is that SpaceX would no longer launch satellites that participate in the scheme, and I don't see how that would make any business sense for a company that needs the explosive growth and has made a point of drawing all the international customers from Arianespace and Roskosmos.
Or is there something I'm missing that would change?
Re: (Score:2)
politics. Not having anywhere near current technology launchers and failure to reach agreement to at least try to catch up, what do we do: PR. Sounds good the effort that's about it.
Re:Not sure how this would help (Score:4, Interesting)
I agree with you on Starlink. The only two other options I could see make sense for negotiations are:
-SpaceX was the first company that made rocketry (almost) reusable but their rockets can still be discarded for extra boost if that's in the interest of the payload's profile, and even then, there is still second-stage debris. Also, they are developing an even larger payload capable reusable rocket with the upper stage (hopefully) re-usable as well.. Maybe the EU wants to push for even less, or preferably no rocketry-related space debris and wants SpaceX's input how it can be avoided or coorporation?
-The development of a space debris cleanup program for which it wants to use SpaceX's services because they are currently the 'cleanest' launch provider.
Re: (Score:3)
There are questions about dumping so many satellites into the upper atmosphere: https://www.theregister.com/20... [theregister.com]
SpaceX also launches other kinds of satellites, and as it expands towards the moon and Mars there will be more debris in longer lived orbits to contend with.
It's likely that at some point the EU will require contractors launching satellites on behalf of member states or businesses with interests in Europe to be responsible when it comes to space junk. It would be best for SpaceX to participate ea
Re: (Score:1)