Speaker
Description
The ESA Space Debris Mitigation Policy was updated in October 2023 accounting for the new ESA Zero Debris Approach. The new ESA Space Debris Mitigation standard (ESSB-ST-U-007, which exceeds the previous standard ECSS-U-AS-10C Rev.2) specifies design and operational measures that a mission needs to adopt through its lifetime to prevent space debris release and proliferation, control system break-up risk, control collision risk, control system failure risk, improve orbital clearance, assure safe re-entry and minimise impact on astronomy.
The requirements for the protection of dark and quiet skies cover two main aspects. The first aspect deals with the limitation of optical and radio frequency interferences with ground and LEO astronomy. The second aspect is related to the data sharing (including orbital information covering current and planned orbit and attitude profiles, brightness, and antenna diagrams).
ESA Space Debris Mitigation guidelines are accompanied by a handbook. The handbook provides the guidelines on verification methods (e.g. prediction of brightness during mission design phase) and recommend mitigation measures in support to ESA missions to facilitate the compliance with the ESA Space Debris Mitigation requirements.
The presentation will give an overview on the requirements, compliance verification guidelines and recommended mitigation measures proposed in the ESA Space Debris Mitigation standard and associated handbook, to guarantee dark and quiet skies. new version will be aligned with the current space debris mitigation standard.
