Space debris pose significant challenges to the safety of current and future operations in space. In 2022, around 5400 active satellites are sharing orbits around Earth with more than one million objects larger than 1cm - increasing the risk of collisions and the loss or disruption of space-based infrastructure. As thousands of spacecrafts are planned to be launched in the coming decade, and without internationally binding guidelines, implementing tools to incentivize space actors and foster responsible behaviour will be key to ensure long-term sustainability of the space environment.
The SSR offers an innovative and practical solution to addressing the orbital challenge by rewarding sustainable design and responsible behaviour, as well as increasing the transparency of organisations’ debris mitigation efforts.
It evaluates the implementation and efficiency of collision avoidance and post-mission disposal strategies, assesses the ability to detect and track a spacecraft, promotes compliance to existing space debris mitigation guidelines and rewards operators sharing data contributing to space situational awareness.
Operators going through a rating will be evaluated but will also benefit from the support of the SSR team to identify the actions that can be taken in order to increase the mission’s sustainability.
