Space Elevator Survivability - Space Debris Mitigation

The Big Sky theory of Space Debris, or the “what, me worry?” approach, has faded into the past as have Sputnik and the Saturn rocket. The space community now recognizes that the continuous growth (chart below1 ) of objects remaining in orbit has lead to an arena where space debris mitigation and removal becomes mandatory. Indeed, the space elevator community is concerned
about space debris numbers and densities because of its dramatic growth over the last three years. During the study, the team addressed many issues, including

• The probabilities of collision in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), in Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO), and in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO)

• The growth rate as it threatens an operational space elevator.

• A reasonable approach for space elevator developers to ensure infrastructure safety.

• Approaches to interrupt sources of debris.