Tags: Debris, Satellite Collision, Europe
Publication: CFOWorld.com
Publication Date: 02/28/2013

Low Earth orbit, the region of space within 2,000 km of the Earth’s surface, is the most concentrated area for orbital debris. Image credit:NASA Orbital Debris Program Office

Europeans satellite operations currently depend almost entirely on the United States when it comes to space debris surveillance and tracking information. In order to protect their satellites, the European Commission has set out new plans that would combine European Union member states’ existing capacities, such as ground-based telescopes, radars and surveillance and tracking (SST) data centers, to become more self-sufficient.

According to the commission, approximately 600,000 objects larger than one centimeter are orbiting the Earth, endangering satellite’s subsystems and instruments on board. These pieces are joined by around 16,000 objects larger than 10 centimeters, which could permanently damage or destroy a satellite.

The only way to prevent this to happen is by monitoring and cataloguing the orbiting objects to track their trajectory. This way, satellite operators can be alerted ahead of time to move their satellites to avoid collision.

The commission’s proposed Europe-wide SST service would be available to all civilian (public or commercial) and military satellite operators as well as public authorities concerned with civil security. By January 2011, 19 percent of the total 950 active satellites orbiting Earth were European, according to Booz & Company.

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