As Americans across the United States celebrated St. Patrick’s Day on March 17, 1958, another significant event was simultaneously taking place.
The United States Navy had just launched Vanguard 1, the world’s first solar powered satellite, into space as a response to the Soviet Sputnik. The 3.25-pound aluminum sphere, equipped with two radio transmitters, was designed to test the capabilities of a three-stage launch vehicle and the effects of the space environment on a satellite and its systems in Earth’s orbit, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Today, Vanguard 1 remains in orbit — making it the oldest artificial object to circle Earth. After sixty-seven years in space, the now-obsolete device is projected to spend another 250 years revolving around our planet.
Vanguard 1 isn’t the only satellite in orbit. Today, there are more than 10,000 satellites pathing a course around Earth — though approximately 2,500 of those are obsolete. Due to satellites’ five- to 15-year lifespans, the rapid evolution of technology, and private organizations’ increased intrigue in space ventures, the likelihood of built-up space debris and overcrowding of space is becoming a pressing reality. Recently, scientists have called for adding an eighteenth goal on space junk to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which — at Bryant — are being used to inform the university’s general education curriculum.
“I don't think the UN had really considered space debris when they put forth the SDGs,” says Robert Patalano, Ph.D., a lecturer within the School of Health and Behavioral Sciences’ Biological and Biomedical Sciences department. “We can hopefully address the overcrowding issue early on by being aware that we're going to make a mess, there's going to be space debris, and that there's going to be a lot of obsolete satellites floating around.”
What threat does space junk pose?
The SDGs, which UN member states adopted in 2015, aim to meet global goals of peace and prosperity for people and the planet. The 17 goals address topics such as poverty, hunger, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, and sustainable cities and communities; the plan is to achieve these milestones by 2030.
According to Patalano, a space-related SDG is important to consider since satellites are needed for addressing current SDG goals. While people are most familiar with satellites enhancing communication, many of these devices are being used for environmental monitoring, tracking CO2 and methane emissions, recording global temperatures, and keeping an eye on deforestation.
One large concern is the potential for satellites to crash into one another and form space debris — especially since there are many devices currently in orbit and more are projected for the coming decades. He notes that penny-sized space debris from something launched 50 years ago could destroy a working satellite, which could impact people and wildlife on the planet.
“It might not feel directly related to our day-to-day activities but think about how we rely on our cell phones, computers, and the internet. If we create too much debris and interrupt the way we communicate globally, well, just look at what happens when an airline has a power outage and shuts down all flights. Think of that on a global scale with telecommunications or environmental monitoring,” he says.
What could the cleanup process look like?
Space debris cleanup could be more expensive in the long run, which is why it should be addressed now, Patalano says. Whether solutions involve a global treaty where there are responsible parties for cleaning up space messes or incentives for companies who clean up their debris, rallying together is key.
“If you can get a global coalition to address these things, there is some hope,” Patalano says, noting that, in the 1970s and 80s, there was a successful global push to address the hole in the ozone layer.
The space debris cleanup process could be similar to ocean cleanup, remarks Patalano. Because much of the ocean is international water, no country owns it — much like space. Governments could clean up debris together or enact legislation that requires satellites to be brought back to Earth through controlled burns. Ocean cleanup, Patalano says, has not been entirely successful, which is why there are many independent, non-governmental organizations leading the efforts.
“Maybe we have an independent space agency that is going out there and cleaning up space,” Patalano says.
He adds that there are instances where space debris has not burned up in the atmosphere, which poses another question for officials to tackle.
“If this debris starts coming back to Earth, who does that impact and who is responsible for that?” Patalano says.
An archeological gold mine
While Patalano sees space junk from a sustainability lens, his archeological background offers another perspective.
“They're relics of obsolete technology. They are artifacts from early in the space age and tell us about international space goals at certain times but also show how far we’ve come, technologically speaking, in such a relatively short amount of time,” he says, adding that there may be an appetite for bringing back satellites for archival purposes. “We've come so far, and now you have things like Starlink, which are providing high-speed Internet to places all over the world and can be seen overhead in these amazing chains.”
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He adds that generating trash is something humans have been doing for the last three million years since we first started using stone tools.
“Our archaeology record is basically the trash we’ve left behind, and now we're doing that beyond our planet,” Patalano says, drawing attention to the rovers on Mars and equipment left behind on the moon. “A lot of it is essential; they are tools to help us survive but also to get a better understanding of how our universe works.”
Still, that doesn’t mean we should leave a trail of trash wherever we go.
“We know the problems we generate, and we need to do better,” Patalano says.
