The U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted 4-0 Thursday on to adopt new rules to address the growing risks of orbital debris to space exploration.
The FCC voted to require post-mission disposal of low-Earth orbit satellites within five years. The agency previously recommended operators of satellites in low-Earth orbit ensure spacecraft re-enter Earth’s atmosphere within 25 years.
"Defunct satellites, discarded rocket cores, and other debris now fill the space environment, creating challenges for current and future missions," the FCC said, noting there are more than 4,800 satellites operating in orbit as of the end of last year, and the vast majority of those are commercial low-Earth orbit satellites.
NASA has funded several academic studies on space debris, and a bipartisan group of senators has introduced legislation "to jumpstart the development of debris removal technology in the United States," FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks noted.
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