Space debris could be a new business area

NASA, DARPA host space junk "wake-up call"

"Pearson is a strong advocate for a roving space vehicle based on his work to fashion a propellant-less electrodynamic thruster system. This ElectroDynamic Debris Eliminator (EDDE) vehicle, he said, is the only viable method known for the plucking from space of large debris. EDDE would be maneuverable, flying from place to place in low Earth orbit. This concept is reusable with each vehicle capable of removing many targets by simple debris capture, utilizing lightweight nets or a grappler."

as well as

"At this week's meeting, space law specialist, James Dunstan, along with Bob Werb of the Space Frontier Foundation are set to call for an Orbital Debris Removal and Recycling Fund.

It's the belief of Werb and Dunstan that the current legal regime creates perverse economic incentives that are greatly aggravating the problem of orbital debris. The quickest and surest path to resolving the problem, they contend, is to establish a legal and economic environment that places a high price on anyone generating new debris while simultaneously creating adequate rewards for anyone who mitigates
debris.

"From the predictions I've seen of how the space debris population will grow in the coming years, it looks like the space community will need to take active measures soon to clean up at least some of the existing debris, or the problem could get away from us," said Robert Hoyt, leader of Tethers Unlimited, Inc. of Bothell, Wash.

Hoyt is bringing to the DARPA/NASA event his notion tagged "RUSTLER", short for Round Up Space Trash Low Earth orbit Remediation. It too makes use of a propellant-less electrodynamic tether, he said, along with two other unconventional technologies to enable safe and cost-effective removal of defunct satellites, spent upper stages, and other debris from orbit.

"The question has always been who is going to pay to clean up the mess? Nobody really wants to get stuck with that bill," Hoyt said."

This really seems to call for a global satellite debris insurance fund. Anyone that operates a satellite in space has a vested interest in keeping it going (beecuz they're EXPENSIVE!!!). So if every satellite-operating (and also satellite-using) nations paid into a space debris insurance fund, which may be what Dunstan & Werb are describing, then there would be funding to develop technologies that work. (Or more accurately, maybe could work.)



Now, it seems that nations are having trouble funding the effects of climate change action, if the reports from Copenhagen are close to accurate (and I think they are). There's a problem there with the perception of imminent danger; the imminent danger is in not taking action soon enough, but the effects that will be noticeable are still looming on the temporal horizon, too far away to frighten enough people yet (but not far enough away for any kind of comfort). With regards to space debris and the economic viability of investments in space technology, the danger is imminent, has been demonstrated, and it will continue to worsen if strategies for debris reduction and mitigation aren't conceived and implemented soon.