The General Assembly,
Thanking
GA#349 To Prevent Dangerous Debris for both its efforts to reduce the amount of debris unsustainably launched into space and its groundbreaking definition of debris,
Deeming that despite dedicated developments, dilapidated and dangerous debris still drift in space and that GA#349 self-admittedly does not cover active reduction of space debris,
Believing that space debris can have severe consequences if left unchecked and that it is in nations' best interests to protect the world from space debris declining into a catastrophic cascading chain reaction of collisions, hereby:
- Defines, for this resolution:
- "debris" as debris; and
- "space debris" as in-orbit debris of sufficient size that de-orbiting does not prove wasteful that is located in outer space, whether that means dead satellites, random junk, or decommissioned Cyber-Gnome 3000s.
- Directs member states to cooperate with the World Assembly Scientific Programme (WASP) to develop platforms designed to de-orbit debris that remain in-orbit via methods not limited to increasing the surface-area-to-mass ratio of the target debris for atmospheric drag or stellar radiation pressure to decelerate the target in a passive manner, actively descending decaying debris to disintegrate in the atmosphere or to a designated crash site, all without endangering populations below, or any future, more efficient methods of space debris removal that the WASP may discover and utilize,
- Declares that, until more efficient methods are deployed:
- the passive manner shall be the application of material to the target debris that shall expand upon or around it, thus significantly increasing the target's surface-area-to-mass ratio;
- the active manner shall be a guided velocity change applied directly to the target debris by a powered system; and
- both measures must reach the point where the target will de-orbit within five years or less, based on WASP calculations.
- Instructs member states and WASP to decide all relevant specifications for de-orbiting debris of different classes and orbit types, with the specifications including but not limited to:
- changes to orbital characteristics and debris cross-sections to minimize deorbiting time and impact probability;
- the ejection or attachment system for the material in the passive manner and attachment mechanism in the active manner; optimally, containing as few moving parts as necessary;
- platform design and configuration, particularly with regard to utilizing low-risk materials and propellants, fuels and oxidizers;
- optimal materials for realizing both initial and later methods of de-orbiting space-borne debris; and
- economical methods for eliminating orbital debris where atmospheric destruction is difficult or impossible.
- Mandates that member states and WASP develop strategies to further lower de-orbiting time and target debris in graveyard or junk orbits while maintaining a sufficiently low impact probability to present and future in-orbit assets to safely carry out international space program procedures.
