Climate effect in space: Expect more satellite collisions

Subject : Science and Technology

Context:

Increasing carbon dioxide levels in the Earth’s atmosphere will result in a long-term decline in air density at high altitudes, which may extend the lifetime of space debris and intensify the likelihood of satellites running into space debris, according to a new study.

Defunct debris in space-

There were 5,000 active and defunct satellites in low earth orbit, and various companies are planning to launch more in the next decade.
Over 30,000 trackable debris pieces with diameters of more than 10 centimetres and nearly 1 million pieces with diameters over 1 cm are drifting in the low earth orbit, according to the European Space Agency.
The number of defunct satellites in low earth orbit — altitude up to 2,000 kilometres — had increased by 50 per cent over the last two years.

Impact of climate change-

The researchers presented the first accurate assessment of climate change in the upper atmosphere for the next 50 years.
Satellites continue to orbit even after they are decommissioned, but they gradually slow down owing to atmospheric drag.
The upper and middle atmospheres have been cooling compared to the lower atmosphere.
This causes the density to decrease, which reduces the drag on objects, such as discarded satellites and mission-related debris.
Collisions could result in serious issues like interruption in navigation, mobile communications and Earth monitoring.
Moreover, satellite destruction could cost billions of dollars.

Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee-

The Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) is an international governmental forum for the worldwide coordination of activities related to the issues of man-made and natural debris in space.

Objective-

The primary purposes of the IADC are to exchange information on space debris research activities between member space agencies, to facilitate opportunities for cooperation in space debris research, to review the progress of ongoing cooperative activities, and to identify debris mitigation options.

Member space Agencies-

The IADC member agencies include the following- Italy, France, China, Canada, Germany, Europe, India, Japan, South Korea, America, Russia, Ukraine and United kingdom.

Structure-

A Steering Group and four specified Working Groups covering measurements (WG1), environment and database (WG2), protection (WG3) and mitigation (WG4) make up the IADC.

Rules regarding space debris management-

Satellite operators should ensure that decommissioned satellites deorbit within 25 years, according to the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee guidelines.

But the decreasing air density will disrupt debris management by causing planning and calculation errors.