U.S. Government Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices
OBJECTIVE 1. CONTROL OF DEBRIS RELEASED DURING NORMAL OPERATIONS
Programs and projects will assess and limit the amount of debris released in a planned manner during normal operations.
MITIGATION STANDARD PRACTICES
1-1. In all operational orbit regimes: Spacecraft and upper stages should be designed to eliminate or minimize debris released during normal operations. Each instance of planned release of debris larger than 5 mm in any dimension that remains on orbit for more than 25 years should be evaluated and justified on the basis of cost effectiveness and mission requirements.
OBJECTIVE 2. MINIMIZING DEBRIS GENERATED BY ACCIDENTAL EXPLOSIONS
Programs and projects will assess and limit the probability of accidental explosion during and after completion of mission operations.
MITIGATION STANDARD PRACTICES
2-1. Limiting the risk to other space systems from accidental explosions during mission operations: In developing the design of a spacecraft or upper stage, each program, via failure mode and effects analyses or equivalent analyses, should demonstrate either that there is no credible failure mode for accidental explosion, or, if such credible failure modes exist, design or operational procedures will limit the probability of the occurrence of such failure modes.
2-2. Limiting the risk to other space systems from accidental explosions after completion of mission operations: All on-board sources of stored energy of a spacecraft or upper stage should be depleted or safed when they are no longer required for mission operations or postmission disposal. Depletion should occur as soon as such an operation does not pose an unacceptable risk to the payload. Propellant depletion burns and compressed gas releases should be designed to minimize the probability of subsequent accidental collision and to minimize the impact of a subsequent accidental explosion.
OBJECTIVE 3. SELECTION OF SAFE FLIGHT PROFILE AND OPERATIONAL CONFIGURATION
Programs and projects will assess and limit the probability of operating space systems becoming a source of debris by collisions with man-made objects or meteoroids.
MITIGATION STANDARD PRACTICES
3-1. Collision with large objects during orbital lifetime: In developing the design and mission profile for a spacecraft or upper stage, a program will estimate and limit the probability of collision with known objects during orbital lifetime.
3-2. Collision with small debris during mission operations: Spacecraft design will consider and, consistent with cost effectiveness, limit the probability that collisions with debris smaller than 1 cm diameter will cause loss of control to prevent post-mission disposal.
3-3. Tether systems will be uniquely analyzed for both intact and severed conditions.
OBJECTIVE 4. POSTMISSION DISPOSAL OF SPACE STRUCTURES
Programs and projects will plan for, consistent with mission requirements, cost effective disposal procedures for launch vehicle components, upper stages, spacecraft, and other payloads at the end of mission life to minimize impact on future space operations.
MITIGATION STANDARD PRACTICES
4-1. Disposal for final mission orbits: A spacecraft or upper stage may be disposed of by one of three methods:
a. Atmospheric reentry option: Leave the structure in an orbit in which, using conservative projections for solar activity, atmospheric drag will limit the lifetime to no longer than 25 years after completion of mission. If drag enhancement devices are to be used to reduce the orbit lifetime, it should be demonstrated that such devices will significantly reduce the area-time product of the system or will not cause spacecraft or large debris to fragment if a collision occurs while the system is decaying from orbit. If a space structure is to be disposed of by reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere, the risk of human casualty will be less than 1 in 10,000.
b. Maneuvering to a storage orbit: At end of life the structure may be relocated to one of the following storage regimes:
I. Between LEO and MEO: Maneuver to an orbit with perigee altitude above 2000 km and apogee altitude below 19,700 km (500 km below semi-synchronous altitude
II. Between MEO and GEO: Maneuver to an orbit with perigee altitude above 20,700 km and apogee altitude below 35,300 km (approximately 500 km above semi-synchronous altitude and 500 km below synchronous altitude.)
III. Above GEO: Maneuver to an orbit with perigee altitude above 36,100 km (approximately 300 km above synchronous altitude)
IV. Heliocentric, Earth-escape: Maneuver to remove the structure from Earth orbit, into a heliocentric orbit.
Because of fuel gauging uncertainties near the end of mission, a program should use a maneuver strategy that reduces the risk of leaving the structure near an operational orbit regime.
c. Direct retrieval: Retrieve the structure and remove it from orbit as soon as practical after completion of mission.
4-2. Tether systems will be uniquely analyzed for both intact and severed conditions when performing trade-offs between alternative disposal strategies.