OPENSPACE 24: The Future of Space Exploration | Page 31

THE FUTURE OF SPACE EXPLORATION
GRAVITATIONAL
WAVES WILL
OPEN A NEW
DIMENSION IN
THE UNIVERSE
“If we don’t start taking measures to
get rid of space debris, by 2030 the
low Earth orbit space environment
might not be usable anymore.”
Paolo Ferri
Head of the Mission Operations Department at the
European Space Operations Centre (ESOC).
most certain one. In the 2030s, a mission we’ll get rid of
space debris
will forever change our understanding of If we want space exploration to advance, there is one significant
the universe. You might have heard of problem we need to address and eliminate: the over 750,000
LISA Pathfinder and how it successfully bits of floating space debris that are currently floating around
demonstrated that we could detect low Earth orbit. Addressing the issue has become a matter of
gravitational waves from space. ESA has international urgency since satellites worth billions of dollars are
recently approved LISA, the mission that will under threat of collisions. These spacecraft are being sent into
actually detect them. Expected to launch in space at a far greater rate than they are being destroyed.
Of all the predictions, this exploration is the
2034, LISA will allow astronomers to study “We need to have international agreements among launching
the universe for the first time outside the states and commercial initiatives about how to prevent
electromagnetic spectrum, letting them “hear” proliferation of space debris, together with initiatives to remove at
the universe, and go back to the very first least part of the existing ones. This issue needs to be addressed
objects that ever appeared. “This is Nobel now. If we don’t start taking measures to get rid of space debris,
Prize work,” stated Warhaut. by 2030 the low Earth orbit space environment might not be
“I would have never thought to witness the
usable anymore,” said Ferri.
detection of gravitational waves in my life. The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs has worked
Now with LISA we will be able to detect them with NASA and ESA to develop a set of guidelines for space
from space and look back at the beginning of debris mitigation. Under the guidelines, when an orbital mission is
the universe. What’s more exciting is that we planned, it must include a strategy to remove the spacecraft from
are only at the beginning—we still don’t know orbit within 25 years. ESA is also currently developing a Space
what we will be able to see with gravitational Situational Awareness (SSA) program to monitor the debris and
waves. We will probably be able to solve recently appealed to satellite operators and space agencies to
many mysteries that we are not even aware clear up their retired crafts, many of which could impact launches.
of at this point,” concluded Ferri.
However, current statistics say that about 60 percent of the
satellites that should be disposed of at the end of their missions
under current guidelines are, in fact, properly managed. “We
need to make sure that all satellites that are sent to space are
equipped with re-entry capabilities. This would be the first step
to fight space debris,” said Ferri.
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