Dodging Bullets: The Threat of Space Debris to U.S. National Security
Abstract
With several hundreds of thousands of space debris "bullets" orbiting the Earth, the U.S. Government enters a high-risk environment whenever a satellite is launched into orbit. Because of the United States' dependence on space assets, the threat of space debris should be regarded as any other threat to national security interests. The current U.S. policy towards mitigating space debris will limit the amount of space debris created by the U.S. space industry. However, since there is no "check and balance" approach or binding authority to ensure that other space-faring nations or private industries follow the current "United Nations Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines," space debris remains a threat to U.S. national security. The "United Nations Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines" are voluntary and lack the enforcement mechanisms to effectively ensure compliance across international industry. A space debris mitigation compliance program within the international community would better protect U.S. national security interests in space. This thesis compares two international groups that have compliance measures to explore the effectiveness of compliance programs on affected industries. The analysis resulted in the development of a model for incorporating compliance measures in the "United Nations Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines."
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 11, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA524448
Entities
People
- Susan M. Ireland
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College