AbstractPredictions have been made by several authors that random collisions between made-made objects in Earth orbit will lead to a significant source of new orbital debris, possibly within the next century. The authors have also concluded that there are a number of uncertainties in these models, and additional analysis and data are required to fully characterize the future environment. However, the nature of these uncertainties are such that while the future environment is uncertain, the fact that collisions will control the future environment is less uncertain. The data that already exist is sufficient to show that cascading collisions will control the future debris environment with no, or very minor increases in the current low Earth orbit population. Two populations control this process: Explosion fragments and expended rocket bodies and payloads. Practices are already changing to limit explosions in low Earth orbit; it is now necessary to begin limiting the number of expended rocket bodies and payloads in orbit.
Collisional cascading: The limits of population growth in low earth orbit
Advances in Space Research ; 11 , 12 ; 63-66
1991-01-01
4 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Early detection of collisional cascading
British Library Conference Proceedings | 1993
|The Long-Term Evolution of Orbital Debris: New Findings Concerning Collisional Cascading
British Library Conference Proceedings | 1997
|The Long-Term Evolution of Orbital Debris - New Findings concerning Collisional Cascading -
British Library Conference Proceedings | 1995
|THE TRACKABLE DEBRIS POPULATION IN LOW EARTH ORBIT
Online Contents | 1994
|