Security Dilemma, Debris, and the Future of Space Operations

Orbital debris generated by the ongoing use of space is a limiting factor on the future use of space. No feasible way of removing more than a small fraction of the debris already in orbit exists, which makes each future space launch or satellite collision an enduring hazard that nations must cooperatively manage. This chapter looks at the challenges associated with tracking and removing debris as well as the impact that national security competition extending into space could have on the space environment. It concludes with two primary recommendations that could ensure the future sustainability of Earth orbit. First, elevating debris mitigation guidelines to the level of international law combined with developing enforcement mechanisms for malign actors will reduce debris generation for normal space operations. Second, extending the laws of armed conflict to ban usage of debris-generating weapons in orbit will mitigate the threat of armed conflict extending into space.

Computer security · Debris · Dilemma · Epistemology · Political science · Security Dilemma · Space (punctuation) · Space debris · Computer Science · Geology · Law · Oceanography · Philosophy · Space exploration and regulation · Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life

• The sources of military doctrine

  Barry Posen•The sources of military doctrine•1984

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