FROM WALL-E TO WALLED IN: AN EXPLORATION OF THE ACCUMULATING EFFECTS OF PRIVATIZATION ON SPACE DEBRIS IN THE POST-SOVIET ERA

Abstract

The debris left in orbit after the Golden Age of space exploration serves as one of the most influential organizational frameworks for the new age of human outer space utilization. The study of over congestion of Low Earth Orbit (LEO), among other orbital bands, has been pursued since the earliest part of the Space Race. And while the growth patterns observed by Kessler & his colleagues were stable in their times, the end of the Cold War, and subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union, ushered in a new era of outer space innovation. As a lack of international competition for the United States government encouraged its competition to learn from its own failures on domestic soil, a new era of outer space startups dominated the industry from the start of the 21st century. These new corporations are fueling an industry-wide boom unlike anything seen before, ballooning the number of payloads launched per year from dozens to thousands. And while this unprecedented growth continues to put a strain on the congestion of our orbits, it has also generated an economic environment primed for sustainable innovations in the industry. This next generation of outer space innovators looks to further our understanding of the universe by reimagining the way we think about human activity in space. So by encouraging this new generation of startup thinkers to tackle the issue of space debris, through a variety of methodologies, it’s possible to mitigate its negative effects on researchers & corporations alike, and pursue a sustainable future for Earth’s orbits.