Our society’s growing reliance on space services is on the one hand a precious resource for the space field, but on the other it is contributing to the overpopulation of some orbital regions around the Earth. Over the last ten years, the miniaturisation of space assets has played a fundamental role, massively decreasing launch costs and, thus, enhancing the privatisation of the space sector....
Orbital capacity (OC) modeling may have a role in enhancing space safety and space sustainability. However, we all must watch out for unintended negative consequences. Current trends toward shorter post mission disposal (PMD) thresholds, more investment/interest in active debris removal (ADR) missions, and better communications between owner/operators (O/O) to streamline space traffic...
