Small satellites must be designed and operated to support the long-term sustainability of safe space operations. This community responsibility is reflected in the debris mitigation guidelines that have evolved over the last 30 years. As with any space system decision, the ability to operate responsibly has many options that can be characterized by a balance of trade-offs. The cost of a system or process may be explicit by needing more power and volume or implicit by merely making the operations more complicated. This chapter provides the high-level trade-offs for means by which small satellites may meet debris mitigation guidelines. The five major issues identified for consideration for a post-mission disposal (PMD) device are effectiveness, SWAP (i.e., size, weight, and power), reliability, orbital risk (i.e., collision risk to other objects), and risk to ground assets. While there are many new approaches to reducing the lifetime of a satellite after its mission is completed, propulsive maneuvers remain the most reliable and effective. Drag enhancement, solar sail, and electrodynamic tether systems are all also reviewed, and engineering issues for their potential use are identified.


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