Today’s class will be writing-and-discussion-based. You will be split into two groups to develop a policy portfolio recommendation. We will convene as a class after ~45 minutes of group-separated discussion and writing on this. At 11:55pm, each group will post a written memo (parameters below) to Slack in #general. Each group will have 5 minutes to go over the other group’s memo. We will discuss from 12:00-12:30pm.
To start, each group will have 5 minutes to describe the key points of their policy portfolio. These include:
What are the main objectives being pursued/balanced?
What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of each objective?
How does the policy portfolio address any potential trade-offs or conflicts between objectives?
What are the proposed implementation steps and timeline for the policy portfolio?
Be sure to consider factors such as feasibility, scalability, and potential stakeholders. Remember to focus on clear and concise communication in your memo. After the 5 minute explanation period for each group, we will go into questions and open discussion. Have fun!
Memo parameters: 1 page 1.5-spaced 12 point font, with key points and arguments on your recommended policy portfolio. This is a brief document. You will have time to expand on the points during discussions, but will be constrained to stick (close) to those points and arguments.
It is late 2024. The Safeguarding America’s Future and Environment (SAFE) bill is currently being drafted in the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Part of the bill is on space, with language on space debris and orbit use. A bipartisan group of senators on the committee (from states with significant space industries—call them the Space Squad) want to include some policy mechanisms to address the problem. There are two groups working on or trying to influence the language in the bill: the senators’ staffers and industry lobbyists.
There are, broadly speaking, three policies on the table:
The bill will ultimately contain a portfolio of 3-4 policies.
There is no separate funding already appropriated for this, so the bill would have to include separate appropriations and some kind of funding mechanism. Pricing policies are not always the most popular with industry.
The senators are particularly interested in the eventual development of space solar power systems, and would like their policy to support greater in-space materials recycling and manufacturing.
The senators want something industry can support. They also respect and trust their staff and won’t go for something that doesn’t have their staff’s approval as being in the public interest. Your goal is to try to converge on a specific policy portfolio proposal that can go into the bill.
You will receive separate sheets detailing each group’s private information.
Examples of each type of policy approach. These will be enforced through a combination of federal telecommunications, remote sensing, air traffic, and defense agencies.
Orbital-use fees: Orbital-use fees (OUFs) are charges imposed on satellite operators for the use of specific orbital slots or regions in space. The purpose of these fees is to incentivize more efficient use of the limited and increasingly congested space in Earth’s orbits, discourage the creation of space debris, and promote sustainable practices in the space industry. By assigning a monetary value to orbital slots, orbital-use fees create a market-driven approach to space resource management, encouraging operators to minimize their footprint, share resources, and invest in technologies to prevent orbital congestion and collisions. The fees can be administered by international organizations or national space agencies, and the revenue generated can be used to fund initiatives related to space exploration, research, and debris mitigation.
Tradeable Satellite Performance Bonds: Tradeable Satellite Performance Bonds (TSPBs) are market-based instruments designed to limit space debris growth and encourage sustainable and efficient orbital space use. Similar to orbital-use fees and Earth-based waste management systems like deposit-refund schemes for recyclable bottles, TSPBs incentivize more sustainable orbital behaviors by pricing them Unlike orbital-use fees, TSPBs create a tradable asset with a stream of cashflows, allowing for financial engineering to reduce business risk.
TSPBs involve three stages: launch, operation, and disposal. At launch, the satellite operator posts a bond with a regulator, which can be traded to another party. During operation, the bond generates cashflows paid to the bondholder, funded by the deposit balance. Damage charges are deducted from the deposit balance when the satellite imposes costs on other orbit users. At disposal, the remaining deposit balance is returned to the bondholder, who can choose an approved disposal method. This design incentivizes debris reduction, collision risk minimization, and responsible disposal. The tradable nature of TSPBs enables financial engineering to smooth business cashflows, allows regulators to set disposal standards, and provides governments with a mechanism to monetize legacy debris stocks, raising revenues or meeting other objectives.
Active Debris Removal: Active Debris Removal (ADR) refers to the process of identifying, capturing, and safely removing human-made space debris from orbit, which helps prevent collisions and the creation of more debris. ADR technologies can include robotic arms, nets, harpoons, or laser systems, and can involve either controlled atmospheric re-entry, moving debris to a graveyard orbit, or recycling debris in space. By reducing the amount of space debris, ADR helps maintain the long-term sustainability of space operations and minimizes risks to operational spacecraft and satellites. These technologies are still emerging; there are companies that have done technology demonstrations and are moving towards commercial operations soon, but they are not there yet.
Automated maneuvering: Automated maneuvering is a technology that enables satellites and spacecraft to autonomously detect potential collisions and perform evasive maneuvers without human intervention. By using advanced algorithms, sensors, and communication systems, automated maneuvering can significantly reduce the risk of in-orbit collisions, increase operational efficiency, and help satellite operators maintain the safety and functionality of their assets. This technology contributes to the overall sustainability of space activities by preventing the creation of additional debris and ensuring the efficient use of orbital space.
Space Situational Awareness: Space Situational Awareness (SSA) is the ability to monitor, understand, and predict the behavior and location of objects in Earth’s orbit, including satellites, debris, and other celestial bodies. SSA technologies include ground-based radar, telescopes, and space-based sensors, which collect and analyze data to support collision avoidance, anomaly resolution, and mission planning. By providing accurate and timely information about the space environment, SSA plays a crucial role in maintaining the safety, security, and sustainability of space operations, and enables informed decision-making for satellite operators, governments, and other stakeholders.
Satellite disposal requirements: Satellite disposal requirements are guidelines and regulations aimed at ensuring the safe and responsible decommissioning of satellites at the end of their operational life. These requirements typically include directives to deorbit satellites into Earth’s atmosphere for controlled re-entry and burn-up, or to move them into a designated graveyard orbit. By enforcing responsible disposal practices, these standards help mitigate the risk of in-orbit collisions, reduce the generation of space debris, and promote long-term space sustainability.
Automated maneuvering standards: Automated maneuvering standards are a set of guidelines that govern the design, implementation, and operation of autonomous collision avoidance systems on satellites and spacecraft. These standards establish performance criteria, reliability metrics, and communication protocols to ensure that automated systems can effectively detect and respond to potential collisions. By adopting and adhering to such standards, satellite operators can reduce the risk of in-orbit collisions, minimize the creation of additional space debris, and ensure the safe and efficient use of orbital space.
Satellite size limits: Satellite size limits are regulations that impose restrictions on the physical dimensions, mass, or cross-sectional area of satellites launched into space. By enforcing these limits, space agencies and regulators can reduce the probability of collisions and the potential damage caused by such events. Smaller satellites present a lower risk to other orbiting objects and are less likely to generate significant debris in the event of a collision. Satellite size limits, therefore, contribute to the overall safety and sustainability of space operations by encouraging satellite operators to develop compact, efficient designs and technologies that minimize their impact on the space environment.