Why haven’t we solved the space debris problem yet?

Dr Hugh LewisAstronautics Research Group, Faculty of Engineering & the Environment

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Don’t Even Think About It…• George Marshall (@climategeorge), author of “Don’t

Even Think About It: Why Our Brains are Wired to Ignore Climate Change”:

– Climate change is:

• Distant in time• Distant in place• Uncertain• Costly• Unprecedented

Space debris

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Super Wicked Problem• Space debris is a “super wicked problem”*

– For the person/organisation trying to solve the problem:

• Time is running out• There is no central authority• Those seeking to solve the problem are also

causing it• Solutions are pushed into the future irrationally

*Brian Weedon (@brianweedon) from Secure World Foundation at the Center for Orbital Debris Education and Research workshop yesterday

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The solution?1. Create stickiness

2. Entrench support

3. Expand the population that supports the policy

– Shared commitment

• Make reversibility difficult• Create benefits for groups who

change their behaviour• Offset the status quo

• UN Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines• IADC Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines• Code of Conduct• NASA Technical Standard• ISO 24113: Space Debris Mitigation Requirements• CubeSat Design Specification

Threats & opportunities

Envisat

• E.g. Small satellites & CubeSats:

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Teachable moments…

Thank you for your attention

Email: hglewis@soton.ac.uk

Twitter: @DrHughLewis

Thanks to George Marshall (Climate Outreach Information Network), Brian Weedon (Secure World Foundation), T.S. Kelso (CSSI) and Richard Crowther (UK Space Agency)