Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- SECTION I INTRODUCTION
- SECTION II DEFINING THE PROBLEM
- SECTION III MITIGATION OF AND ADAPTATION TO THE SPACE ENVIRONMENT: TECHNIQUES AND PRACTICES
- 9 Precluding Post-Launch Fragmentation of Delta Stages
- 10 U.S. International and Interagency Cooperation in Orbital Debris
- 11 ESA Concepts for Space Debris Mitigation and Risk Reduction
- 12 Space Debris: How France Handles Mitigation and Adaptation
- 13 Facing Seriously the Issue of Protection of the Outer Space Environment
- 14 Space Debris – Mitigation and Adaptation
- 15 Near Earth Space Contamination and Counteractions
- 16 The Current and Future Space Debris Environment as Assessed in Japan
- 17 Orbital debris Minimization and Mitigation Techniques
- SECTION IV ECONOMIC ISSUES
- SECTION V LEGAL ISSUES
- SECTION VI A MULTILATERAL TREATY
- SECTION VII PANEL DISCUSSIONS
16 - The Current and Future Space Debris Environment as Assessed in Japan
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 February 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- SECTION I INTRODUCTION
- SECTION II DEFINING THE PROBLEM
- SECTION III MITIGATION OF AND ADAPTATION TO THE SPACE ENVIRONMENT: TECHNIQUES AND PRACTICES
- 9 Precluding Post-Launch Fragmentation of Delta Stages
- 10 U.S. International and Interagency Cooperation in Orbital Debris
- 11 ESA Concepts for Space Debris Mitigation and Risk Reduction
- 12 Space Debris: How France Handles Mitigation and Adaptation
- 13 Facing Seriously the Issue of Protection of the Outer Space Environment
- 14 Space Debris – Mitigation and Adaptation
- 15 Near Earth Space Contamination and Counteractions
- 16 The Current and Future Space Debris Environment as Assessed in Japan
- 17 Orbital debris Minimization and Mitigation Techniques
- SECTION IV ECONOMIC ISSUES
- SECTION V LEGAL ISSUES
- SECTION VI A MULTILATERAL TREATY
- SECTION VII PANEL DISCUSSIONS
Summary
INTRODUCTION
Space debris is considered to be a problem that all space faring nations must work together in order to maintain a safe environment for the future space development.
One of the world's earliest warnings on this issue was made in Japan in 1971 by M.Nagatomo and his colleagues of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS)(1). Since that time, independent research on this topic has been carried out by various organizations in Japan. However, the quality and quantity of the research is still kept low, and very limited significant international contributions have been made. It should also be pointed out that no national guidelines on this problem have yet been formulated.
In light of this situation, the Space Debris Study Group was founded by the Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences (JSASS) in September 1990. Its objectives are to promote overall space debris related research, to stimulate public awareness of this issue and to provide guidelines to cope with it. The Interim Report was published in January 1992(2). In this paper the space debris environment and the related technologies assessed by the group are described.
SPACE DEBRIS ENVIRONMENT
Trackable objects in earth orbit are steadily increasing with small fluctuations due to periodical atmospheric drag increment at the maximum solar activity and occasional launch activity stall. The history of object number provided by the United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) is shown in Fig.1.
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- Preservation of Near-Earth Space for Future Generations , pp. 128 - 131Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1994