{"681781":{"#nid":"681781","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Space Traffic and Trash: Policy Experts Work Toward a Sustainable Final Frontier","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik. Several months later, the U.S. sent Explorer I into space. With two small objects, the space race began.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs of March 2025, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/orbit.ing-now.com\/\u0022\u003Emore than 11,000 satellites\u003C\/a\u003E are orbiting Earth. According to some \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.aanda.org\/articles\/aa\/full_html\/2022\/01\/aa42101-21\/aa42101-21.html#T1\u0022\u003Eestimates\u003C\/a\u003E, there could be as many as 60,000 by 2030.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn the Space Age, space activity was overtly geopolitical, and that\u2019s never really gone away,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/mariel-borowitz\u0022\u003EMariel Borowitz\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/inta.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESam Nunn School of International Affairs\u003C\/a\u003E and director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/news\/item\/680901\/nunn-school-launches-space-policy-center\u0022\u003Erecently launched\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cistp.gatech.edu\/node\/89\u0022\u003ECenter for Space Policy and International Relations\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cBut the major shift now is the rapid rise of commercial activity and the number of actors in space.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpace traffic is global by nature \u2014 satellites cross over myriad countries while orbiting. Thanks to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.unoosa.org\/oosa\/en\/ourwork\/spacelaw\/treaties\/introouterspacetreaty.html\u0022\u003EOuter Space Treaty\u003C\/a\u003E, every country has the right to access space. More actors in space, though, mean more trash and more potential collisions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBorowitz and her colleagues in the Nunn School analyze and help develop policies on protecting space so it remains safe and usable in the future. In other words, they\u2019re doing everything they can to make sure things don\u2019t blow up.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETaking Out the (Space) Trash\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/inta.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/thomasgr\u0022\u003EThomas Gonz\u00e1lez Roberts\u003C\/a\u003E, a postdoctoral fellow in the Nunn School, has a research portfolio that unites his background in astrodynamics with space governance. One area he specializes in is space debris and its impact on the sustainability of space operations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We define space debris as objects in Earth orbit that are no longer actively being controlled,\u0022 Roberts said. \u0022A satellite that has run out of fuel, for example, becomes a piece of floating garbage.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe issue, he notes, isn\u0027t just the large pieces of debris but also the many tiny fragments that go undetected.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We can track objects the size of a softball, but anything smaller is more challenging to spot with current technology,\u0022 he explained. \u0022These small pieces can still destroy satellites because of their velocity, like a bullet can harm a human.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs such, debris presents not only a physical hazard but also a complex issue for satellite operators trying to navigate these invisible threats. Roberts also highlights the rising number of satellites in popular orbital regimes. Low Earth orbit (LEO) is the closest orbital regime to Earth. Beginning at the upper reaches of the Earth\u2019s atmosphere, it hosts communication and observational satellites and is by far the most congested region of all.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022There are only a few spots in the near-Earth space environment where satellite operators want to be, effectively making these regions limited natural resources,\u201d he said. \u201cWithout proper coordination, these valuable spaces will be overcrowded, making it harder to avoid collisions and creating more debris.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo address these issues, Roberts advocates for better international coordination and the development of more effective space policies. \u0022How operators choose to control their satellites is a form of space policy,\u0022 he noted. \u0022We need transparent, collaborative policies that encourage more responsible space operations. When a satellite mission is completed, operators should clean up after themselves, ensuring the long-term viability of these orbital regions.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESpace Situational Awareness\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpace situational awareness (SSA) involves tracking objects in space, predicting their movements, and identifying potential collisions. If a potential collision is detected, the next step is determining whether to issue a warning. Currently, the U.S. military operates the most globally advanced SSA system, providing collision warnings free of charge to spacecraft operators worldwide. However, there is an ongoing effort to shift this mission to a civil agency, the Office of Space Commerce (OSC), because so much of space activity is now international and commercial.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2022, Borowitz testified before Congress on transitioning from a military to a civilian SSA system. A few months later, she was invited to join the OSC on a detail to help implement this transition. Currently, she spends half her time there as head of International SSA Engagement. Her work bridges the gap between research and government operations, ensuring that advances in academia inform policy and operations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBorowitz and Brian Gunter, a professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, launched a joint project tackling the complex issue of space traffic coordination, supported by a grant from NASA.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir detailed simulation model \u2014 the Georgia Tech Virtual Environment for Space Traffic Analysis (VESTA) \u2014 incorporates real satellite data from military space situational awareness systems to test out possible space traffic coordination rules.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne question we\u2019re trying to answer is whether, when we see the possibility of a collision in space, we should have right-of-way rules,\u201d Borowitz said. \u201cWe have them on the ground for cars, and we have them in the air and at sea. In space, we have no real concept of right of way.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough this approach, Borowitz and Gunter can test different traffic rules and collision scenarios over months and even years. Their model also assesses the impact of these rules on different countries and companies, and what might happen if some actors choose not to follow them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe results of these simulations are crucial for shaping international agreements; they provide concrete data on the potential costs and benefits of unilateral versus multilateral approaches to space governance,\u201d Borowitz said. \u201cThis kind of research not only brings technical astrodynamics into policy discussions but also offers valuable insights for negotiating space traffic coordination at a global scale.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy combining cutting-edge research with real-world policy work, Borowitz, Roberts, and their colleagues are helping ensure that space remains usable for everyone. With their work, the path to a safer space environment is becoming clearer.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom creating state-of-the-art simulations to advising industry leaders, Georgia Tech\u2019s policy experts are making space safer and more navigable for everyone.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"From creating state-of-the-art simulations to advising industry leaders, Georgia Tech\u2019s policy experts are making space safer and more navigable for everyone. "}],"uid":"36123","created_gmt":"2025-04-14 20:01:53","changed_gmt":"2025-09-16 14:02:19","author":"Catherine Barzler","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-04-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-04-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676834":{"id":"676834","type":"image","title":"AdobeStock_73724733.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDebris presents not only a physical hazard but also a complex issue for satellite operators trying to navigate these invisible threats. (Credit: Adobe Stock)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1744660969","gmt_created":"2025-04-14 20:02:49","changed":"1744660969","gmt_changed":"2025-04-14 20:02:49","alt":"An illustrative image of Earth with debris orbiting around it","file":{"fid":"260678","name":"AdobeStock_73724733.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/14\/AdobeStock_73724733.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/14\/AdobeStock_73724733.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":518253,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/14\/AdobeStock_73724733.jpg?itok=jNQWcjdU"}},"676835":{"id":"676835","type":"image","title":"mariel-and-thomas.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMariel Borowitz and Thomas Gonz\u00e1lez Roberts\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1744661757","gmt_created":"2025-04-14 20:15:57","changed":"1744661757","gmt_changed":"2025-04-14 20:15:57","alt":"Mariel Borowitz and Thomas Gonz\u00e1lez Roberts","file":{"fid":"260679","name":"mariel-and-thomas.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/14\/mariel-and-thomas.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/14\/mariel-and-thomas.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":199912,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/14\/mariel-and-thomas.jpg?itok=0L0_7VKM"}}},"media_ids":["676834","676835"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"194767","name":"go-cspir"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECatherine Barzler, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:catherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ecatherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["catherine.barzler@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}