Your GPS and Why You Should Care About Space Trash

Two things often concern me: being on time and trash. There are many others, but these two often sit at the top of my list of things that keep me up at night. The first, I have some control over thanks to my GPS, and the second, I have less control but try to do my part. I'm often amazed that my trusty GPS effectively guides me to the airport on time to catch my flight. However, that achievement is replaced with concern at the other end as I get off that airplane and notice the amount of trash left behind. I try not to allow my brain to consider the number of flights that land daily carrying the same amount of waste because if I do, I start to feel an intense sense of claustrophobia, thinking about where it all goes.

One day, while waiting to get off a plane in D.C., trying to distract my thoughts from judging what people leave behind, my brain wondered all on its own about what happened to all the trash in space. The result was many sleepless nights, a mistaken idea to rewatch the movie "Gravity," and a lot of learning about what happens to all the stuff people worldwide have been launching into space.

I learned that space debris is a lot like pollution on Earth, but it's happening in space around our planet. Imagine tons of trash and broken objects moving fast up above us in the same areas where we need those satellites to exist safely. These satellites are crucial for using our phones, navigating with GPS, and even for airline pilots to fly all those planes. Thinking that we could permanently lose these services caused space junk to become number three on the list of things that keep me up at night.

It's like letting litter pile up in the streets, except instead of blocking sidewalks and adding an unpleasant smell to the morning air, it moves so fast that even something small can cause massive problems. Imagine all your and everyone else's discarded Biscoff and Stroopwafel wrappers flying through the streets, traveling multiple times faster than a speeding bullet! Now, that would make for a slightly funny yet terrifying action movie.

Space debris, also known to space aficionados as "orbital debris," includes any disused man-made objects floating in space. Think of old satellites, spent rocket stages, and fragments from disintegration, erosion, and collisions. Just as litter on Earth can harm everything from sea turtles to the air we breathe, space debris is a hazard to satellites and spacecraft, which can eventually impede our ability even to break free of it to explore distant planets. Imagine yourself in our action movie where a flying cookie wrapper would total your car. Working from home would take on a whole new meaning. While we like staying at home, we are also kind of attached to the idea of being able to leave.

For decades, we've been working on solutions to clean oceans and air here on Earth, and unfortunately, the time has come to add cleaning space to our long list of environmental concerns. It's a big job, but if we start now, we can keep using space safely for all the vast benefits it brings to our daily lives. Trust me, there is a lot! If we ignore it, we risk losing those benefits, and space could become a no-go zone, trapped by a cloud of dangerous debris.

The problem has grown because space is more accessible, and we're launching more objects into orbit than ever before. For example, companies are launching large groups of satellites into lower space regions to give us things like high-speed internet from space, which is very cool but makes it crowded up there. Each piece of debris, even as small as a bolt or paint fleck, travels over 17,000 miles per hour, about ten times faster than a bullet. Even minor debris can damage or destroy satellites and spacecraft at these speeds.

To make matters worse, if we don't manage this space litter, it could lead to the "Kessler Syndrome," a chain reaction of collisions leading to more and more debris, potentially blocking us from space benefits like GPS, weather forecasting, and telecommunications.

So why hasn't the issue with space debris been taken as seriously? Well, there are several reasons:

1. "Out of Sight, Out of Mind": Space debris is not a visible problem for most people; it doesn't affect their daily lives in an obvious way. This lack of visibility reduces the perceived urgency to address the issue.

2. Space is Vast: People often perceive space as an infinite expanse where objects can easily be lost without consequence. This vastness leads to a misconception that space can accommodate all debris without repercussions.

3. Cost: Implementing solutions for space debris removal or mitigation requires significant investment, which governments or companies may be reluctant to provide without immediate benefits.

4. Jurisdictional Issues: Space is not owned by any one country, making it challenging to establish who is responsible for cleaning up the debris.

5. Lack of Immediate Impact: The consequences of space debris are not immediate, leading to procrastination in addressing the problem.

But the scary truth is that space debris has been likened to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which emphasizes the urgency to prevent the orbit around Earth from becoming a similar wasteland. Therefore, it's crucial to tackle this problem now to maintain the usefulness of space and continue reaping the benefits of space-based technology in our everyday lives.

I see many similarities between the early days of trash collection here on Earth and our space junk mindset today:

1. Lack of Infrastructure: Initially, there was no organized system to manage waste. People would throw trash out of their homes onto the streets or into bodies of water.

2. Public Health Issues: The accumulation of waste led to unsanitary conditions, causing diseases and environmental problems.

3. Attitude Shift: Over time, the realization that waste could not be ignored led to a change in public attitudes.

4. Government Intervention: Cities began to organize waste management services, which evolved into our current municipal trash collection systems.

5. Technological Solutions: Innovations like landfills, recycling programs, and waste-to-energy plants were developed.

6. Regulations: Governments introduced regulations to manage waste disposal, such as mandatory trash bins, scheduled collection days, and fines for littering.

In both cases, the transition from recognizing a problem to implementing solutions involved a gradual process of public awareness (thank you for your interest in reading this post), technological development, and regulatory intervention. Just as trash collection infrastructure became essential for maintaining public health and urban cleanliness, a system for managing space debris will be critical for ensuring the safety and sustainability of space operations. And it is an excellent opportunity for all entrepreneurs with good ideas for cleaning up space. If you have one, please give me a call.

Moving forward, the problems we face in space debris management include:

1. Lack of Infrastructure: There is currently no comprehensive system for removing or managing space debris.

2. Safety and Sustainability Issues: The increasing amount of debris poses risks to satellites, space stations, and future space missions.

3. Attitude Shift: There's a growing recognition within the space community that debris is a problem that needs to be addressed.

4. Government and Agency Intervention: Some space agencies have begun developing guidelines for debris mitigation, such as post-mission disposal plans.

5. Technological Solutions: Concepts for debris removal, such as nets, harpoons, and lasers, are being developed, though they are still in experimental stages.

6. Regulations: There's discussion about introducing international regulations for space debris mitigation, like end-of-life deorbiting and design modifications to prevent breakups.

I hope my newly found obsession with the issue of space debris and its implications for the future of space operations and satellite-based services helps you see what is currently unseen. Like early urban waste management, recognizing the problem of space debris leads to public attitude shifts, technological solutions development, and regulations implementation. The aim is to prevent scenarios like the Kessler Syndrome. Managing space debris is critical for maintaining the benefits we derive from space-based technologies, such as traveling at 42,000 feet while enjoying a Biscoff cookie.