- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a rule to limit the growth of new orbital debris and reduce the risk of collisions with spacecraft and satellites.
- The proposed rule outlines five options for commercial space operators to dispose of the upper stages of launch vehicles, aiming to promote a sustainable space environment.
September 21, 2023, WASHINGTON, The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed a new rule aimed at limiting the growth of orbital debris and reducing the potential for collisions with spacecraft and satellites. The initiative is part of the FAA’s broader effort to promote a sustainable space environment.
“If left unchecked, the accumulation of orbital debris will increase the risk of collisions and clutter orbits used for human spaceflight and for satellites providing communications, weather and global positioning system services,” the FAA stated.
The proposed rule outlines five options for commercial space operators to dispose of the upper stages of launch vehicles. These options include conducting a controlled reentry, moving the upper stage to a less congested storage or graveyard orbit, sending the upper stage on an Earth-escape orbit, retrieving the upper stage within five years (known as active debris removal), or performing an uncontrolled atmospheric disposal.
The FAA aims to mitigate the risk to people on the ground and in flight by strictly limiting the uncontrolled reentry of upper stages due to their significant size and mass and the uncertainty of where they will land. The proposed rule would also align commercial space orbital debris mitigation practices with those accepted by the U.S. government for its space missions.
As of July 2023, there are over 23,000 orbital objects sized 10 cm or greater. Recent projections estimate a total of one-half million objects sized between 1 and 10 cm on orbit, and over 100 million objects larger than 1 mm. The 90-day public comment period for the proposed rule will begin after it is published in the Federal Register in the coming days.
