---
title: "Paper: From Space Debris to NEO, Some of the Major Challenges for the Space Sector (2020)"
id: 69528
type: "post"
slug: "paper-from-space-debris-to-neo-some-of-the-major-challenges-for-the-space-sector-2020"
author: "NSE"
published: "2024-01-08T05:00:00+00:00"
modified: "2024-01-02T23:57:15+00:00"
canonical: "https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2024/01/08/paper-from-space-debris-to-neo-some-of-the-major-challenges-for-the-space-sector-2020/"
markdown_url: "https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2024/01/08/paper-from-space-debris-to-neo-some-of-the-major-challenges-for-the-space-sector-2020.md"
description: "This article summarizes the key points of the paper."
language: "en-US"
category:
  - "Space Economy"
  - "Space Technology"
post_tag:
  - "Research"
  - "Satellites"
  - "Space Sector"
---

# Paper: From Space Debris to NEO, Some of the Major Challenges for the Space Sector (2020)

![](https://i0.wp.com/newspaceeconomy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/frspt-01-00002-1-1.jpg?resize=696%2C911&ssl=1)

[Download document](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/frspt-01-00002.pdf)

Here is a summary of the key points from the paper:

## Introduction

- Society’s reliance on space assets has grown significantly, making threats to those assets a major concern
- As of 2020, there were about 5,500 satellites in space but only ~2,300 functioning, leaving ~3,200 defunct satellites and debris orbiting Earth
- Space debris poses a threat of collisions that can have catastrophic consequences and trigger a chain reaction of increasing debris

## Key Challenges

### Surveillance and Tracking

- Tracking smaller debris down to cm sizes to provide collision warnings and enable avoidance maneuvers
- Improving orbit determination and propagation to enable reliable conjunction predictions

### Regulations

- Current voluntary guidelines have failed to prevent anti-satellite weapon testing that produces debris
- Lack of enforceable regulations is a key challenge

### Mitigation Strategies

- Guidelines exist for passive mitigation like deorbiting satellites after 25 years
- Active debris removal (ADR) missions are needed to remove large defunct satellites and reduce collision risk
- Low-cost ADR approaches have been demonstrated but further technology development is needed

### Planetary Protection

- Developing strategies to deflect dangerous near-Earth objects if they threaten impact
- Improved international coordination and development/testing of deflection methodologies is needed

In summary, key challenges span political, regulatory, and technical realms. Progress requires international collaboration on enforceable guidelines, advanced tracking/modeling capabilities, investment in mitigation technologies like ADR, and continued research into deflection strategies.